Providence, Rhode Island – A shooting incident at Brown University on Saturday resulted in the deaths of two students and injuries to nine other individuals. The event occurred around 16:00 local time in a classroom within the Barus and Holley building, part of the university's engineering school, where an exam review session was reportedly taking place.
Following the incident, the university was placed under lockdown, and a manhunt for the suspected gunman is ongoing. Police have described the male suspect as dressed entirely in black and possibly wearing a mask. CCTV footage released by authorities shows the suspect exiting the building after the attack, but his face is not discernible. The specific type of firearm used has not been identified or recovered.
Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O'Hara stated that law enforcement is utilizing all available resources to locate the suspect, with additional armed police deployed in the area. Most of the injured are reported to be in a "critical but stable" condition, according to officials at Rhode Island Hospital.
Brown University President Christina Paxson issued a statement acknowledging the devastation the event has caused the community. An economics professor, Rachel Friedberg, informed Ocean State Radio that her teaching assistant, who was leading the review session, recounted the shooter entering the classroom, yelling, and then opening fire as students attempted to find cover.
Residents in the vicinity of Brown University have been advised to remain indoors or avoid the area until the shelter-in-place order is lifted. University officials confirmed that police are escorting individuals from non-residential buildings to secure locations. Earlier reports of a suspect being apprehended were later confirmed to be incorrect; the individual detained had no involvement in the attack.