Police issue arrest warrant for suspect in Brown University attack, sources say

An arrest warrant has been issued in connection with a mass shooting at Brown University that left two people dead and nine others injured, according to authorities. Investigators are searching for the suspect and a rental car believed to be connected to the shooting, and are also exploring a potential link to a separate killing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Brown University Shooting Investigation

Police are currently searching for the suspect and a vehicle they are believed to have rented. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect. A news conference planned for Thursday afternoon in Providence, Rhode Island, was cancelled, but officials stated an update would be provided later in the day.

Investigators are examining possible connections between the Brown University shooting and the death of Nuno F Gomes Loureiro, a 47-year-old professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT. Loureiro was shot multiple times at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Monday, approximately 50 miles from Providence.

Sources have indicated that a rental car matching the description of the one used in the Brown University shooting was also seen at the scene of Loureiro’s murder. Federal authorities had previously stated there was no connection between the two incidents.

On Wednesday, police released a photograph of an individual they believe was in close proximity to the primary person of interest, seeking information from the public. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez stated they wish to speak with this individual, “who may have information relevant to the investigation.”

Perez also noted that the killer “could be anywhere,” adding, “we don’t know where the person is or who he is.” Earlier, police showed footage of a person of interest walking around the Brown University campus wearing a black mask, potentially “casing” the area before the shooting.

The public has expressed frustration with the pace of the investigation. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha expressed confidence that the perpetrator would be apprehended, stating it was “just a matter of time before we catch him.”

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for the attack. The shooting occurred at Brown University’s Barus & Holley engineering building during final exams.

The two students killed have been identified as Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an Uzbek-American freshman student.