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MSU shooter captured on man's security camera before confrontation with police

Posted at 10:10 PM, Feb 17, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-17 23:16:59-05

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — We are learning more about the final moments of the man accused of gunning down eight students on Michigan States University's campus.

A man who lives in Lansing says he caught the shooter on his home surveillance camera Monday night before he was confronted by police early the next morning.

His home is about 3 miles from campus.

"This street right here will take you to campus, so he basically after the last incident just walked straight up the street," DeMarco Taft said.

Taft says he was home when police released a photo to the public hoping to track down the man responsible for a mass shooting on campus.

"I am pretty much in front of a surveillance screen at all times, so I could see what's going on," Taft said.

At 11:23 p.m. Monday night, Taft's cameras show a man strolling by wearing a jean jacket, black pants and red shoes.

"Once he actually crossed right in front of me and I saw those red shoes and I got a close up, then I knew that was him," Taft said.

"What struck me was how casually he was walking — like he wasn't even on the run," Taft said. "It was a great show of force over there, manpower and a manhunt going on, but they were chasing someone that wasn't even running."

Police armed with long guns, FBI agents and sheriff's deputies were combing campus for this guy, but he was in Lansing.

Taft says he wanted to confront the suspected shooter but instead called the police.

"It took them about like not even 10 minutes from campus. I even got footage of them streaming back past here and I told them that he had made a right here on Pennsylvania (Avenue)," Taft said.

Forty-three-year-old Anthony McRae was confronted by police shortly after Taft's call.

The gunman allegedly shot and killed himself after that confrontation.

"He was a Lansing resident, actually a resident of this ward, the 1st Ward and actually purchased the guns from the pawn shops here in the 1st Ward," Taft said.

Taft says he's grateful McRae was stopped before he could hurt anyone else and his heart breaks for parents now forced to bury their children.

"I definitely want to say to the families of the murdered, the injured and also the murderer that I know how it feels to lose a family member to a bullet, so you're not alone," Taft said.

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