The people of Providence can “breathe easier” today because a person of interest in the double-fatal shooting on the Brown University campus has been arrested, the mayor said.
The shelter-in-place order has also been lifted, authorities added at a 7 a.m. press conference.
Police in Coventry, R.I., assisted by the FBI, reportedly apprehended the man around 3:45 a.m. today at a hotel in the town located about 15 miles south of the Brown Campus, according to multiple reports. The man is said to be in his 30s.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed Sunday morning again that two have died and of the nine injured in an engineering and physics building on campus during a final exam, seven are in “stable condition, one is critical but stable, and one has been discharged.” They are all believed to be students, but authorities said they need time to work with families first before any final identifications are released.
In an emotional press conference, the mayor, governor, president of Brown and city police, and the FBI all said they are praying for the families of the dead and wounded, but this nightmare is over.
“The people of Providence should breathe a lot easier today,” Mayor Smiley said, adding that’s why the city lifted the shelter-in-place order. He did comment later, with the exhaustion of the all-night ordeal showing on his face, that they had trained for this day they hoped would never come. It was a somber sentiment shared by all the officials at the press conference.
“Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” Brown University President Christina Paxson said when she stepped up to the microphone this morning. She praised law enforcement for being “amazing,” adding that the school, she promised, will “bring people back together.”
Late last night, police urged anyone who may recognize the suspect or can share helpful details to call the tip line at 401-652-5767. Police today did not divulge how the video and tip line may have helped.
Saturday’s shooting was panic-inducing, with the university initially reporting around 5 p.m. that a suspect was in custody, but it retracted that in a 5:11 p.m. update. Smiley said that the person thought to be involved was later determined not to be involved. That is not the same story today.
President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel quickly offered total support to help catch the killer.
Brown University Chief of Police Rodney Chatman, who also serves as university vice president of public safety, said responders were dealing with “a very fluid, dynamically involving” situation when he spoke Saturday night.
Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee said that he has marshalled the resources of the state to assist now that “the unthinkable has happened.” He said he has been in contact with the White House as well as regional counterparts, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
Mayor Smiley confirmed the ATF was also assisting.
“We know there is a lot of fear and concern and uncertainty in the community right now,” a 6:33 p.m. post from the university stated. “Law enforcement is actively working to identify the deceased victims, and the hospital personnel also are working to identify those transported to the hospital.”
Providence Deputy Chief of Police Timothy O’Hara said that the department’s officers, “as they are trained to do, entered that building immediately and began searching for a suspect.”
Police cleared the building but located no suspect. O’Hara said that the shooter is believed to be “a male dressed in black” who exited the building on the Hope Street side.
“We are utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect.,” O’Hara said. “This shelter-in-place is an order and I urge people to take that very seriously. Please do not come to the area. There is an active police investigation and a lot of police in the area.”
A sheltering student speaks
A Brown student sheltering in place in a dorm told the Herald Saturday night he knows someone shot. He spoke while helicopters were overhead, and he spoke about being locked down in his dorm — “gun violence in America is real,” he added.
Shane, who asked that his last name remain anonymous, said the university was texting and posting updates, but he said a normal Saturday has turned into a horror show.
“Sirens are all over campus and we’re all talking about those shot. The person I know shot is all right,” he added. “We’re not the first campus locked down and we won’t be the last. I’ve got to hope this will lead to some type of change.”
The student added it’s finals time and to have a double-fatal shooting on an Ivy League campus is difficult to comprehend. Yet, he added, “students are helping each other.”
Federal response
President Trump confirmed that the school was also receiving a federal response, with the FBI on the scene as of 5:44 p.m.
“I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island. The FBI is on the scene,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
“God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” Trump continued.
The FBI’s Patel confirmed in an X post that “personnel are on the scene and assisting this evening after the shooting at Brown University and we will provide all capabilities necessary.
“Please pray for all those involved. We will update with more information as we are able,” he continued.
The Boston FBI said it “is assisting our law enforcement partners in Rhode Island with any and all available resources, including evidence response, investigative and tactical support, as well as victim assistance.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any and all suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately,” the statement continued.
Initial reports
“There’s an active shooter near Barus & Holley Engineering,” the Brown University Emergency Information system posted at 4:22 p.m. Saturday, the first of multiple alerts. “Lock doors, silence phones and stay stay hidden until further notice.”
The university confirmed just after 6 p.m. that “multiple shooting victims” had been transported to local hospitals.
The Providence Police Department also said that there were “multiple people shot” in the area and advised people to shelter in place or at least avoid the university area as the scene remains active.
The Brown University Department of Public Safety further gave directions on how to respond to the emergency situation: “Remember: RUN, if you are in the affected location, evacuate safely if you can; HIDE, if evacuation is not possible, take cover; FIGHT, as a last resort, take action to protect yourself.”
Just before 5:30 p.m., the university reported that more gunshots were reported on Governor Street, a few blocks from campus, a claim they later said was “unfounded.”
Providence Police and other emergency services in Providence are also on the scene. Ambulances lined Thayer and Angell streets, which run through the campus.
“There is currently heavy Providence Police and Fire presence on Hope Street near Brown University,” the Providence Police Department wrote on X. “Please exercise caution and avoid this area until further notice.”
The location
Barus & Holley is a campus building housing the university’s School of Engineering and Physics Department. The seven-story, 220,000-square-foot building houses 117 laboratories, 150 offices, 15 classrooms, 29 laboratory classrooms and three lecture halls, according to an information sheet hosted on the university’s website.
The Ivy League school was on the second day of its final exams week, according to the academic calendar.
The university said that senior leadership have “convened in emergency command to mobilize ongoing response and support for our community.”
“We are establishing support for our community and families,” the university statement continued. “We have been and continue to be very grateful to law enforcement and emergency medical personnel. Please continue to take all steps to remain safe. Follow the instructions of law enforcement personnel and avoid the area.”
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