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Brown University Shooting: Campus in Lockdown as Massive Manhunt Intensifies
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Tragic Hunt for Brown University Shooter: 2 Killed, 9 Injured
In a devastating attack that has shattered the calm of finals week, Brown University became the scene of a deadly shooting on Saturday afternoon. The Ivy League school is now the focus of a massive manhunt as authorities search for a gunman who killed two students and injured nine people.
The shooting erupted inside the Barus and Holley building, which houses engineering and physics classrooms, during a final exam review session for a Principles of Economics class. Providence police report the suspect, described as a man in his 30s wearing dark clothing and possibly a gray camouflage mask, remains at large. Surveillance video shows him leaving the area, walking down Hope Street.
“Our focus right now is on supporting the families who have been affected by this,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson. The two deceased and eight of the injured are confirmed to be students. A ninth injured person left the scene before realizing they’d been hit by fragments.
In the aftermath, over 400 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, have swarmed the Providence area. A shelter-in-place order was enforced for hours, with students like Ethan Schenker describing daunting moments barricading in the library. “It didn’t seem real,” he told CNN.
Authorities have launched a dedicated FBI tip site for the public to submit photo and video evidence. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley stated that while the search continues, there is no current information suggesting an ongoing threat from the suspect. He did not recommend canceling weekend holiday events or church services.
This tragedy marks Rhode Island’s first school shooting since at least 2008, according to a CNN database. As the investigation unfolds, Governor Daniel McKee said authorities will review whether campus building safety protocols were sufficient, noting the exterior doors of the attack site were unlocked due to exams.
The community now mourns as the manhunt for the Brown University shooter presses on, a stark reminder of gun violence striking at the heart of a prestigious academic sanctuary.