WEB DESK: Authorities launched a massive search after a shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island left two students dead and nine others injured, officials confirmed.
More than 400 law enforcement officers were involved in the operation as the suspect remained at large. The Ivy League campus in Providence was placed under lockdown for hours after a gunman entered a university building where exams were underway. Emergency vehicles flooded nearby streets, and security measures were expanded across the city as police intensified efforts to locate the suspect.
Investigators said they were working alongside the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, searching surrounding neighborhoods, streets, and campus buildings. Providence Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said the shooter had not yet been identified.
Authorities described the suspect as a man believed to be in his 30s, dressed in black and possibly wearing a mask. Officials said surveillance footage of the suspect would be released, though further details about the weapon or evidence collected at the scene, including shell casings, were not disclosed.
The shooting occurred inside Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building, where exterior doors had been left unlocked to accommodate students sitting for exams. Officials said the gunman fled the scene after opening fire.
Seven of the nine injured victims were listed in critical condition, according to Brown University Health. Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that nearly all of those affected were students, calling the incident a devastating moment for the campus community.
“This is a tragedy no community ever wants to face,” Paxson said.
As the incident unfolded, students were instructed to shelter in place. One student, Chiang-Heng Chien, told local media that he and several classmates hid under laboratory desks for nearly two hours after receiving alerts about an active shooter nearby.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley urged residents to keep the victims’ families in their thoughts, noting the proximity of the tragedy to the holiday season. Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee vowed that authorities would apprehend the suspect, saying justice would be served.
The search was made more challenging by large crowds in the city, including holiday shoppers and people attending weekend events. Law enforcement agencies from neighboring towns, along with federal authorities, assisted in the manhunt, while businesses and venues reportedly increased security.
Police said they were reviewing video footage and following up on tips from the public, though none had yet led to a breakthrough.
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting, describing it as a horrific event and expressing condolences to the victims and their families.
The incident adds to a growing list of mass shootings in the United States, where gun violence remains more prevalent than in many other developed nations. The Gun Violence Archive reports hundreds of such incidents annually, including several occurring on school campuses.
