A shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, left two students dead and nine others injured, triggering a large scale security response and the suspension of academic activities on campus.
The incident occurred inside a first floor classroom, though investigators said on Saturday that it was not immediately clear how the suspect gained access. Mayor of Providence Brett Smiley said the building’s outer doors were unlocked, but rooms used for final examinations required badge access.
An active gunman alert was issued shortly after the shooting. Two students who were studying in a nearby library told the BBC they stayed away from the windows while waiting for police. They said officers later searched the floor, ordered them to drop their bags and raise their hands, before escorting them out of the library.
Mayor Smiley said on Sunday that one of the injured victims remained in critical condition, seven others were in stable condition in hospital, and one person with minor injuries had been discharged. Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that all those killed and injured were students.
“This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us,” Paxson said, adding that the university was supporting the families of the two students who were killed.
Police said one of the injured victims did not suffer a gunshot wound but sustained non life threatening injuries from fragments related to the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities reviewing additional video footage to identify the suspect.
Officials said a person of interest was briefly taken into custody on Sunday but was later released after investigators determined the individual did not match the suspect seen on CCTV footage. The video showed a male dressed in black walking away from the scene with his face covered. No firearm was found during a sweep of the building.
In an update on Sunday, Paxson said some areas of the campus remained restricted as investigations continued. About 2,000 students were relocated to safe locations, and all remaining examinations, papers and projects were postponed.
Brown University, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States and a member of the Ivy League, has more than 11,000 students. It is located in Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, about 80 kilometres from Boston and 290 kilometres from New York City.
US President Donald Trump described the shooting as “a terrible thing” and said prayers were being offered for the victims and those seriously injured. According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 300 mass shootings have been recorded in the United States so far this year.
