MSU shooter previously charged with gun-related felony, charge eventually dropped: Report

The gunman who shot up the Michigan State University campus this week, killing three people before turning the gun on himself, was several years ago hit with a felony gun charge that was later dropped by prosecutors, according to media reports. 

Anthony McRae, who killed himself after police say he killed three students and injured five at MSU on Monday night, was "arrested in Lansing and charged in June 2019 with carrying a concealed pistol without a concealed carry permit," the Detroit News reported on Tuesday.

McRae was subsequently charged with misdemeanor possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, the News said; he eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, with prosecutors throwing out the more serious felony accusation. 

If convicted of the felony, McRae would have been facing five years in prison; on his guilty plea he received 12 months probation, according to court records. 

Over the course of the probation, he was prohibited from possessing firearms, the News said.