Person of interest detained after Brown University shooting
Police in Rhode Island said early Sunday that they had a person of interest in custody after a shooting that rocked the Brown University campus during final exams, leaving two people dead and nine others wounded.
Col Oscar Perez, chief of the Providence police, confirmed at a news conference that the detained person was in their 30s. Perez did not say where they was arrested or whether theywere connected to the university.
The shooting erupted in the engineering building of the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exams. Hundreds of police officers had scoured the Brown University campus along with nearby neighborhoods and pored over video in pursuit of a shooter who opened fire in a classroom.
Providence leaders warned that residents will notice a heavier police presence on Sunday. Many local businesses announced they would remain closed and expressed shock and heartbreak as the community continued to process the news of the shooting.
“Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson said at the news conference.
Key events
Here’s a recap of what we know about the attack so far:
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A shooter dressed in black killed at least two people and wounded nine others at Brown University during final exams on the Ivy League campus.
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Brown University president Christina Paxson confirmed that the two people killed were students. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter-in-place was in effect for the area and encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside and not to return home until it was lifted.
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Eight people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island hospital, where six were in critical but stable condition, according to Kelly Brennan, a spokesperson for the hospital. A ninth person was later found to have been injured, but was reportedly not in a critical situation.
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University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects. The mayor said a person preliminarily thought to be involved was detained but was later determined to have no involvement.
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President Donald Trump told reporters that he had been briefed on the shooting and “all we can do right now is pray for the victims.” Earlier he claimed a suspect was in custody before rowing back on that statement and confirming the shooter was still at large.
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The shooting occurred in the Barus + Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices. Brown, one of the America’s most prestigious colleges, has roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students.
Surveillance video released by police showed a suspect, dressed in black, calmly walking away from the scene. His face was not visible and investigators said it wasn’t clear whether the suspect is a student.
The suspect was last seen leaving the engineering building and some witnesses told police the suspect may have been wearing a camouflage mask, Providence Police Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara said.
Earlier, Paxson said she was told 10 people who were shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting but it was not clear if the victim was a student, she said.
The search for the shooter paralyzed the campus , the nearby neighborhoods filled with stately brick homes and the downtown in Rhode Island’s capital city. Streets normally bustling with activity on weekends were eerily quiet.
Students sheltered in place for hours into the night. Officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at the shelter on buses without jackets or any belongings.
Person of interest detained after Brown University shooting
Police in Rhode Island said early Sunday that they had a person of interest in custody after a shooting that rocked the Brown University campus during final exams, leaving two people dead and nine others wounded.
Col Oscar Perez, chief of the Providence police, confirmed at a news conference that the detained person was in their 30s. Perez did not say where they was arrested or whether theywere connected to the university.
The shooting erupted in the engineering building of the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exams. Hundreds of police officers had scoured the Brown University campus along with nearby neighborhoods and pored over video in pursuit of a shooter who opened fire in a classroom.
Providence leaders warned that residents will notice a heavier police presence on Sunday. Many local businesses announced they would remain closed and expressed shock and heartbreak as the community continued to process the news of the shooting.
“Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson said at the news conference.







