Brown University Shooting: Authorities on Sunday detained a “person of interest” in connection with the deadly shooting at Brown University that left 2 students dead and 9 others injured, as the Ivy League campus reeled from one of its darkest days just ahead of winter break exams.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said the individual, believed to be in his 20s, was taken into custody at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 30 minutes from the Brown campus. Officials declined to release further details, citing the ongoing investigation, and said no additional suspects are being sought at this time.
Suspect Tracked Through Geolocation Data
FBI Director Kash Patel said an FBI team specializing in cellular data analysis used geolocation information to locate and detain the person of interest at the hotel. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to review evidence and interview witnesses as part of the probe.
The shooting occurred inside Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building, where students were sitting for exams. Officials said the gunman fled the scene shortly after opening fire, taking advantage of unlocked outer doors.
Authorities later released a brief surveillance clip showing a person of interest dressed in black walking near the building. Police said the individual may have been wearing a mask, though that detail has not been confirmed.
Campus Shuts Down, Community Mourns
The attack sent shockwaves through the university, one of the oldest in the United States. Brown canceled all remaining exams and classes for the year, and the campus remained largely deserted on Sunday as light snowfall covered Providence.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said seven injured students were in stable condition, one remained in critical but stable condition, and another had been discharged. Shelter-in-place orders were lifted, though residents were advised to expect a heightened police presence across the city.
Smiley acknowledged that not all families had been contacted by Sunday afternoon due to travel delays. He urged residents to attend a previously scheduled community gathering to light a Christmas tree and a menorah marking the first night of Hanukkah. “If we can come together as a community and shine a little bit of light tonight,” he said, “there’s nothing better we could be doing.”
Students Recall Hours Of Fear
Brown President Christina Paxson said nearly all of the victims were students. “This is the day one hopes never happens, and it has,” she said.
Teaching assistant Joseph Oduro, 21, said he was inside a classroom when shots rang out. “The first couple of gunshots went straight to the chalkboard right where I was standing,” he said, adding that a student beside him was shot twice in the leg.
Other students described long, tense lockdowns. Some waited under desks for hours, while others said repeated active-shooter drills over the years left them initially numb to the danger, until the reality of the situation set in.
(Via Agency Inputs)
