PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A tragic mass shooting at Brown University has left two students dead and nine others injured, prompting an extensive manhunt for the suspect who remains at large. The incident unfolded Saturday afternoon around 4 p.m. in the Barus and Holley engineering building, where students were taking exams. Authorities report that the suspect, a male dressed in black, entered the classroom and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley assured the public that there is no “specific, ongoing threat” from the suspect. However, the campus remained in lockdown for several hours as law enforcement agencies scoured the area for the gunman. Emergency vehicles lined the streets surrounding the university, and heightened security measures were implemented throughout the city.
Surveillance footage released by officials depicts the suspect as a male possibly in his 30s, dressed in black, and potentially wearing a mask. His identity remains unknown, and police have yet to recover the weapon used in the attack. The motive behind the shooting is also unclear, with investigators unable to determine if the suspect had any ties to the university.
Most of the injured individuals are reported to be in “critical but stable” condition at Rhode Island Hospital. The identities of the deceased and wounded have not yet been disclosed. In a heartfelt statement, Brown University President Christina Paxson expressed her grief, stating, “This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us.”
As news of the shooting spread, the university advised students to shelter in place, while police conducted thorough searches of non-residential buildings. An economics professor recounted the chaos, describing a scene where students scrambled for cover as shots rang out during a review session led by a teaching assistant. Consequently, all exams scheduled for Saturday were cancelled.
Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee condemned the attack, labeling it an “unthinkable tragedy” and promising that the shooter would be brought to justice. “We’re going to make sure that we catch the individual that brought so much suffering to so many people,” he asserted.
The search for the suspect has been complicated by the high volume of holiday shoppers and concert-goers in the area. President Donald Trump also addressed the tragedy, calling it “a terrible thing” and sending prayers to the victims and their families.
This incident marks a grim milestone, bringing the total number of mass shootings in the United States to 389 this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are killed or injured, excluding the attacker.
