Brown University Shooting: Two Dead, Nine Wounded as Person of Interest Taken into Custody in Rhode Island

Providence:

Rhode Island police announced early Sunday that they have detained a person of interest following a shooting at Brown University that left two people dead and nine others wounded during the final examination period.

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez confirmed at a news conference that the detained individual is in their 30s, and authorities are not currently seeking any additional suspects. He declined to specify whether the individual had any connection to the university.

An FBI agent revealed that the arrest took place at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Providence. Law enforcement officers remained at the scene, with police tape restricting access to a hallway.

The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon in the university's engineering building while final exams were in progress. Hundreds of police officers searched the Brown University campus, nearby neighborhoods, and reviewed surveillance footage in pursuit of the shooter who opened fire in a classroom.

According to a law enforcement official speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to discuss the investigation publicly, the shooter used a handgun to fire more than 40 rounds of 9mm ammunition. As of Sunday morning, authorities had not recovered a firearm but had found two loaded 30-round magazines.

University officials canceled all classes, exams, papers, and projects for the remainder of the fall semester and informed students they were free to depart campus. Provost Francis Doyle stated in an announcement that students remaining on campus would have access to support services.

"At this time, it is essential that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to the members of our community as we grapple with the sorrow, fear and anxiety that is impacting all of us right now," Doyle wrote.

Providence officials warned residents to expect an increased police presence on Sunday. Many local businesses announced temporary closures as the community processed the shocking events.

"Everybody's reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us," said Brown University President Christina Paxson at the news conference. "Our community's strong and we'll get through it, but it's devastating."

Police released surveillance footage showing a suspect dressed in black calmly walking away from the scene.

Paxson previously stated that she was informed that 10 of the shooting victims were students. Another individual was injured by fragments but it remained unclear if that person was a student.

The search for the shooter brought the campus to a standstill, along with nearby neighborhoods of stately brick homes and downtown areas in Rhode Island's capital until the shelter-in-place order was lifted early Sunday. Weekend streets typically full of activity were unusually quiet. Officers in tactical gear evacuated students from campus buildings to a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at shelters via buses without jackets or personal belongings.

Investigators were not immediately certain how the shooter accessed the first-floor classroom. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley explained that while the building's outer doors were unlocked, rooms being used for final exams required badge access.

Smiley became emotional while discussing the city's preparedness for mass shooting incidents.

"We all, intellectually, knew it could happen anywhere, including here, but that's not the same as it happening in our community, and so this is an incredibly upsetting and emotional time for Providence, for Brown, for all of us," he said. "It's not something that we should have to train for, but we have."

Nine individuals with gunshot wounds were transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where one remained in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were stable, and two others were in stable condition, according to hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan.

Engineering design exams were in progress when the shooting took place in the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex housing the School of Engineering and physics department. The facility contains more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms, and offices, according to the university's website.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was working on a final project in the building's lobby when she heard loud pops coming from the east side. Upon realizing they were gunshots, she ran to a nearby building where she sheltered for several hours.

Eva Erickson, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality show "Survivor," had left her lab in the engineering building just 15 minutes before shots were fired.

The engineering and thermal science student, who gained recognition as the show's first openly autistic contestant, was later secured in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who had been present was safely evacuated.

Alex Bruce, a senior biochemistry student, was working on a final research project in his dormitory directly across from the building when he heard sirens outside. "I'm just in here shaking," he said while watching armed officers surround his dormitory through the window.

Students in a nearby lab turned off lights and hid under desks after receiving an alert about the shooting, according to Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral engineering student who was approximately one block from the scene.

Mari Camara, a 20-year-old junior from New York City, sought shelter in a taqueria after leaving the library. She spent over three hours there texting friends while police conducted their search of the campus.

"Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened," she said.

Brown University, the seventh oldest higher education institution in the United States, is among the nation's most prestigious colleges with approximately 7,300 undergraduates and over 3,000 graduate students. Tuition, housing, and other fees amount to nearly $100,000 annually, according to the university.

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Associated Press journalists Alanna Durkin Richer, Mike Balsamo and Seung Min Kim in Washington, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.