Terror at Brown University: Students Seek Shelter as Deadly Campus Shooting Claims Two Lives

The assailant utilized a handgun, discharging approximately 40 9mm rounds during the incident.

Several students sought shelter inside a Brown University facility during the tense aftermath of a fatal campus shooting that claimed the lives of two students and left nine others wounded.

A disturbing video circulating online captured the moment when frightened students huddled together in the campus library – visibly terrified – as law enforcement personnel moved through the area, identifying themselves and directing students to raise their hands before guiding them to safety.

A user on X (previously Twitter) shared the footage with the comment: "This is college in the United States. Video from inside a Brown University building shows the moment that police found a group of students who were sheltering after the shooting on campus. This isn't freedom."

The gunman initiated the attack inside the Barus and Holley engineering building on December 13 at approximately 4:05 pm local time, while final-exam study sessions were taking place.

According to law enforcement officials, the perpetrator employed a handgun and discharged roughly 40 9mm bullets. Active-shooter alerts were distributed to the university community, advising everyone to remain indoors while police conducted building-by-building searches for the attacker.

Graduate students Marcos and Daniel recounted the frightening experience of sheltering within the Rockefeller Library. They reported receiving an active shooter warning while studying in a nearby location.

"We stayed away from windows, and when police arrived, they instructed us to drop our bags and raise our hands," they informed BBC, adding, "Subsequently, officers searched the entire floor before escorting us out of the library."

BBC reports that many graduate students similar to them prefer to remain at home for several days until the situation normalizes and the perpetrator is apprehended.

Providence Police, with assistance from federal agencies including the FBI and ATF, cordoned off substantial portions of the campus.

A shelter-in-place directive remained in effect until late Saturday evening before being partially lifted early Sunday morning. Several areas surrounding the Barus and Holley and Minden Hall buildings remained closed due to ongoing investigations.

In a notable development, authorities revealed that a person of interest had been detained at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, approximately 20 miles from Providence.

Officials identified the individual as a 30-year-old man from Wisconsin who was found possessing weapons believed to be connected to the attack, including a laser-sighted revolver.

Though formal charges had not been filed as of Sunday evening, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez confirmed that detectives were interrogating the suspect.