Two people were killed and eight others were injured in a shooting at Brown University, authorities said during a Saturday evening news conference on Dec. 13.
Officials said the eight injured victims were taken to the hospital and are in critical but stable condition. As of 6:45 p.m. local time, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said no suspect was in custody.
Providence Police described the suspect as “a male dressed in black.” Commander Timothy O’Hara said investigators do not yet know how the suspect entered the building, but believe he left the complex on the Hope Street side.
“It is unknown how he entered the building, but we do know that he exited the Hope Street side of that complex,” O’Hara said, later adding, “We’re utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect.”
Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee also spoke at the briefing, calling the incident devastating: “The unthinkable has happened.”
Brown first alerted the campus community shortly after 4 p.m. that there was an active shooter near Barus & Holley, a computer lab and engineering building. In an on-campus alert, the university instructed: “Lock doors, silence phones and [stay] hidden until further notice.”
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Shortly afterward, officials incorrectly stated that a suspect was in custody, but a follow-up alert minutes later clarified that no suspects were in custody, according to ABC News and The Brown Daily Herald. During that time, Brown and Providence Police confirmed that multiple people had been shot.
In an X post at 5:15 p.m., the university urged people to stay sheltered: “Continue to shelter in place. Remain away from Barus & Holley area.” The post added that police were still searching: “Police do not have a suspect in custody and continue to search for suspect(s). Brown coordinating with multiple law enforcement agencies on site.”
At 5:27 p.m., Brown reported a “report of shots fired near Governor Street” and again told people to shelter in place and stay clear as law enforcement responded.
In a 5:52 p.m. update, the university said the “situation remains ongoing.”
Gov. McKee posted on X at 5:31 p.m., writing, “We are actively monitoring the shooting at @BrownUniversity. Our teams at @RIStatePolice and @RhodeIslandEMA are working closely with local law enforcement. Please stay clear of the area and monitor official channels for updates.”
“Praying for our community,” he added.
At 6:05 p.m., Brown shared a longer update, saying it had “confirmed reports of multiple shooting victims,” though it could not yet provide conditions. The university said the victims had been transported to local hospitals and emphasized that its “first priority is the safety of our community,” adding that it was working with law enforcement and medical personnel and trying to determine who was inside the building at the time.
Brown said “multiple exams” were scheduled in the building from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and noted that support services were available for the campus community. The university also said an earlier report of “a secondary shooting incident near Governor Street is unfounded.”
Footage from the scene showed police officers appearing to assist “several individuals lying on the ground near the Sciences Library,” according to campus newspaper The Brown Daily Herald.
A student, Katie Sun, told The Herald she heard gunshots while studying at the Engineering Research Center around 4:10 p.m. and then ran from the lobby. “It was honestly quite terrifying,” she said.
