A major manhunt is underway after a deadly shooting at Brown University left two people dead and nine others wounded inside an academic building on Saturday afternoon, authorities and university officials reported. The gunfire erupted around 4 p.m. local time inside the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building while final exams were taking place. Witnesses described chaos as students sought shelter, with law enforcement quickly coordinating a campus-wide lockdown.
The two victims who died were students, while nine others sustained injuries, several of them critical, and were rushed to nearby hospitals. University officials confirmed that most of the victims were students and expressed deep sorrow for the loss and trauma to the campus community. Brown University President Christina Paxson announced that remaining exams for the semester would be canceled in light of the tragedy.
Authorities deployed hundreds of officers from local, state, and federal agencies to search the campus and surrounding neighborhoods for the suspect. Police released surveillance footage showing a male suspect dressed in dark clothing, possibly wearing a mask, walking away from the building after the shooting. A shelter-in-place order was imposed on the campus and lifted early Sunday as the search continued. Early Sunday morning, law enforcement confirmed that a person of interest had been taken into custody, though details about whether this individual is the shooter or their motives have not yet been released.
The shooting has profoundly shaken the Ivy League campus, with students recounting hours of tense shelter-in-place situations as officers in tactical gear patrolled the area. Local and state officials, including the Rhode Island governor and Providence mayor, pledged full cooperation with federal investigators, with the FBI and ATF assisting in evidence collection and analysis. Political leaders across the country expressed condolences, emphasizing prayers and support for victims and their families. Brown University officials said counseling and support services are being made available to students, faculty, and families affected by the incident, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack.
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