PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — A gunman opened fire inside a classroom at Brown University’s engineering and physics building during final exams on Saturday, killing two students and wounding nine others before fleeing the scene, authorities said.
A suspect was taken into custody early Sunday, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation. The individual, whose identity has not been released, was found with a firearm bearing a unique characteristic. No charges have been announced as the probe continues.
The shooting occurred around 4:05 p.m. in the first-floor lecture hall of the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story facility on the eastern edge of the Ivy League campus. Witnesses described a masked man dressed in black entering the room and beginning to shoot during what some reports indicated was a review session.
Providence police and university officials issued alerts urging shelter-in-place orders that lasted into the overnight hours, affecting the campus and surrounding neighborhoods. The lockdown was lifted early Sunday, though some areas remained restricted as active crime scenes.
Of the nine injured, hospital officials reported one in critical condition, six critical but stable, and two stabilized. An additional person sustained non-life-threatening injuries from fragments. University President Christina H. Paxson confirmed all victims were students, calling it “an unimaginably tragic day” in statements to the community.
More than 400 law enforcement officers, including FBI and ATF agents, participated in the manhunt. Surveillance video released by police showed a man in dark clothing walking away from the building down Hope Street.
The incident unfolded during finals week, with exams scheduled in the building. University officials canceled all remaining tests, including those planned for Sunday.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley expressed grief, with Smiley noting the community had long prayed such violence would not occur locally. President Donald Trump said he had been briefed and offered prayers for the victims.
Authorities established tip lines for the public and urged anyone with video or information to come forward. The motive remains under investigation.
