Providence, Rhode Island — A massive manhunt is underway in Providence, Rhode Island, after a lone gunman opened fire in a classroom at Brown University on Saturday, killing two students and injuring nine other people.
The attack occurred around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) in the Barus and Holley building, part of the university’s engineering school, where students were taking exams and attending review sessions.
The university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the US, was immediately placed under a comprehensive lockdown as police launched an intense search for the suspect, who remains at large.
Casualties and Condition of the Injured
The names of the deceased and injured have not yet been released by officials. Rhode Island Hospital officials confirmed that most of the nine injured individuals are in a “critical but stable” condition.
“This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson in an official statement.
Details of the Attack and Suspect
The shooting took place in a large, first-floor classroom. An economics professor, Rachel Friedberg, told Ocean State Radio that the shooting interrupted a review session for her course, which was being led by her teaching assistant.
“He said that the shooter came in the doors, yelled something – he couldn’t remember what he yelled – and started shooting,” Friedberg recounted. “Students started to scramble to try to get away from the shooter, trying to get lower down in the stadium seating, and people got shot.”
Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O’Hara released limited information about the male suspect.
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Description: Dressed entirely in black and may have been wearing a mask.
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Weapon: The type of firearm used is unknown and has not been recovered.
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Motive: Neither an identity nor a motive has been established. It is also unknown if the suspect has any links to the university.
CCTV footage shows the suspect walking out of the building after the attack, but the individual’s face is obscured.
Police Operation and Campus Lockdown
Extra armed police resources have been drafted in to search the area. “We’re utilising every resource possible to find this suspect,” Deputy Chief O’Hara confirmed.
The Barus and Holley building was cleared on Saturday afternoon, but neither the suspect nor a weapon was found inside.
The shelter-in-place order continues for parts of the campus and the greater Brown University area. Police are actively entering non-residential buildings to escort people to safety.
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Campus Impact: University exams scheduled for Saturday were cancelled, according to Provost Frank Doyle.
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Community Reaction: Steph Machado, a reporter for the Boston Globe, told BBC News that the area surrounding the campus is filled with flashing lights, with restaurants locking their doors and staff and customers sheltering inside.
Mari Camara, a 20-year-old Brown student, told the Associated Press of rushing into a restaurant and hiding there for three hours. “Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.
Political Response
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee expressed his condolences, stating: “Our capital city experienced an unthinkable tragedy today. Our hearts are with the people of Providence and all those impacted.”
President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, described the shooting as “a terrible thing.” “All we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt,” he said.
The attack on the prestigious Ivy League campus brings the number of mass shootings in the US to 389 for this year, according to the independent analysis website Gun Violence Archive (GVA).
