A gunman opened fire on the Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday, killing at least two people and wounding nine others during final exams. Police are searching for the suspect, who was last seen fleeing the engineering building.
Brown University Shooting: What We Know
University President Christina Paxson said that 10 of those shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting, though it was not immediately clear if that individual was a student.
Officers searched academic buildings, backyards, and porches late into the night in the area surrounding the Ivy League campus. The suspect is described as a man in dark clothing, potentially in his 30s and possibly wearing a camouflage mask, according to Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara of the Providence police.
Investigators are working to determine how the gunman entered the first-floor classroom where the shooting began. While outer doors of the building were unlocked, rooms used for final exams required badge access, according to Providence’s mayor.
Authorities believe a handgun was used in the shooting, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
“The unthinkable has happened,” said Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, vowing to deploy all available resources to apprehend the suspect.
A shelter-in-place order remained in effect, and residents near the campus were encouraged to stay indoors. Nine people with gunshot wounds were transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was listed in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were stable, and two were reported as stable.
University officials initially reported a suspect was in custody, but later clarified that this information was incorrect. A person initially detained was later determined to have no involvement in the shooting.
The shooting occurred in the Barus and Holley building, a seven-story complex housing the School of Engineering and the physics department. The building contains over 100 laboratories and numerous classrooms and offices. Engineering design exams were underway at the time of the incident.
Students in a nearby lab hid under desks and turned off the lights after receiving an alert about the shooting, according to Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering. Mari Camara, a junior from New York City, sought shelter in a taqueria after rushing inside from the library.
Brown University is the seventh-oldest higher education institution in the United States, with approximately 7,300 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students.
Former President Donald Trump stated he had been briefed on the situation and offered his prayers for the victims.
Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. Last spring, the state legislature passed an assault weapon ban, set to take effect next July, prohibiting the sale and manufacturing of certain high-powered firearms, but not their possession.
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