Providence: At least two people were killed and eight others sustained gunshot injuries after a shooter dressed in black opened fire at Brown University on Sunday, triggering hours of panic and a massive police manhunt across the Ivy League campus, authorities said.
The shooting took place inside the Barus and Holley building, a multi-storey academic complex housing the School of Engineering and the physics department, where final examinations were under way at the time. Police said the suspect, described as a male wearing dark clothing, was last seen leaving the engineering building shortly after the attack.
Law enforcement officers fanned out across the campus and into nearby upscale residential neighbourhoods, searching academic buildings, yards and porches as a shelter-in-place order remained in effect for several hours. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley urged residents and students to stay indoors until the alert was lifted, saying all available resources were being deployed to locate the suspect.
Authorities believe a handgun was used in the shooting, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee called the incident “unthinkable,” while emphasising that state and federal agencies were working closely to manage the situation.
Eight people wounded in the shooting were rushed to Rhode Island Hospital. Hospital officials said six patients were in critical but stable condition, one remained in critical condition, and another was listed as stable.
Confusion briefly surrounded the suspect’s status after university officials initially informed students and staff that a person was in custody. That statement was later corrected, with city officials confirming that an individual detained earlier was found to have no involvement in the incident.
Students across campus described scenes of fear and chaos as alerts warned of an active shooter. Some hid under desks in nearby laboratories, turning off lights, while others sought shelter in shops and restaurants near the university. Several students remained barricaded in buildings for hours before being escorted out by officers in tactical gear.
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident and expressed condolences for the victims, calling the shooting “a shame.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed it was assisting local authorities in the response.
Brown University, one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in the United States, has approximately 7,300 undergraduate students and over 3,000 graduate students. The university remained under heightened security as investigations continued late into the evening.
