Mass shooting: live updates from Dec. 13 to Dec. 15

Seven victims remain at Rhode Island Hospital as of 10:45 a.m., according to an update shared with The Herald by Sharon Torgerson, public relations director for the hospital. Five patients are in critical stable condition, one is in critical condition and one is in stable condition. Two patients have been discharged.

Following Saturday’s shooting, several groups affiliated with Barus and Holley, the building where the attack took place, released statements on social media.

In a Brown Engineering Student Ambassadors statement on Instagram, students wrote that they are “shaken” by the attack taking place in a building where they “spend long nights working, learning, collaborating and building (their) futures.”

“For many of us, the engineering building isn’t just where we studied, it is our home,” the statement read, adding that for some students, the prospect of going inside Barus and Holley may feel “impossible” now. The statement also shared academic, mental health and spiritual resources available to students.

Management of the Brown Design Workshop — a student-run makerspace located inside Barus and Holley — also took to Instagram to reflect on the shooting. The statement noted that all individuals in the space at the time of the shooting were evacuated and safe.

The BDW also wrote they will remain closed “until further notice,” and shared community resources for students. “We will reopen only once we can confidently ensure the safety and well-being of all members,” BDW management added.

The School of Engineering cafe, which is located in Hazeltine Commons — the lobby of the engineering building — announced their temporary closure on Instagram. The message noted that the cafe’s staff will be working at other dining facilities for the time being.

“Our hearts are so heavy,” a message posted by SOE cafe staff read. In a second post on Tuesday morning, the SOE cafe shared pictures of the two deceased victims, expressing their condolences.

In an 11:13 a.m. email to the Brown community, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 eulogized Ella Cook ’28 and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov ’29, the two students killed in Saturday’s shooting.

“While it is impossible for words to fully convey Ella’s and Mukhammad’s impact and potential, I want to share a little bit about them as we grieve their loss and seek to honor their memories,” Paxson wrote.

Cook, a native of Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was interested in French and francophone studies, “was a passionate and intellectually curious member of our community,” Paxson wrote. At Brown, Cook was vice president of the Republican Club of Brown University and an Alpha Chi Omega sorority member, Paxson added.

Umurzokov went to Midlothian High School in Virginia, where he was president of the school’s Model United Nations chapter and captain of the Scholastic Bowl team, Paxson wrote. A dual U.S.-Uzbek citizen “with a passion for medicine,"" Umurzokov sought to become a neurosurgeon and was planning on concentrating in biochemistry and molecular biology at Brown, Paxson added.

The Undergraduate Council of Students and the Division of Campus Life have arranged a virtual interfaith prayer service for Wednesday, Paxson said. More efforts to “memorialize” Cook and Umurzokov will be planned for after winter break, she added.

The University waited to release Cook and Umurzokov’s names to “give their families some space to grieve,” Paxson wrote. “Now it is important that we never forget them.”

The email added that the University “will not be releasing the names” of the other victims, citing privacy considerations.

“The trauma from Saturday extends far beyond those with physical wounds,” Paxson added. “The weight of this tragedy bears heavily on all of us.”

In an 8:09 p.m. email, the Department of Public Safety shared resources and details regarding safety measures Brown has put in place.

The email reported the University “has seen an increase in ‘swatting’ calls — false reports of an active shooting or other similar events — that are designed to provoke a large police response.” DPS noted that while some community members may feel safer with increased police presence, “it may also cause concern in light of the recent shooting.”

Additional threats that have been reported on and near campus since the incident are unfounded, the email added.

According to the email, all buildings on campus are “in restricted mode access until further notice.” Only those who have “authorized card access” are able to enter buildings requiring Brown ID swipe access.

Access to Barus & Holley, Prince Lab and the Engineering Research Center remains restricted as they are “active investigation (scenes) secured by the Providence Police Department and partner agencies,” the email added. Any individual who does not have access to their Brown ID due to the police perimeter can go to the card office in Page-Robinson Hall for a replacement.

The message reiterated community members’ role in keeping the campus safe and asked everyone who was in Barus and Holley on either Friday or Saturday to “contact the Providence police to arrange for an interview.” DPS also requested that anyone with “information related to the incident” report it to the PPD tip line and asked for community members to “upload relevant video, photos and other media” to the established Federal Bureau of Investigation website.

On the House floor, U.S. Reps. Gabe Amo (D-R.I. 1) and Seth Magaziner ’06 (D-R.I. 2) hosted a moment of silence for the two deceased victims of Saturday’s shooting.

In his remarks, Amo thanked Mayor Brett Smiley, Gov. Dan McKee and other local leaders “for their leadership in their ongoing response to this senseless tragedy.” He also thanked first responders, medical professionals and law enforcement.

“We continue to stand together to heal and work towards the safety we all deserve,” Amo said.

On the Senate floor earlier today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) shared remarks on Saturday’s shooting, followed by hosting a moment of silence to remember the two deceased victims of the attack.

“These two talented, promising young people had their lives tragically cut short,” Reed said in his statement. Families of the victims, he added, are “dealing with the unimaginable.”

Whitehouse called on his colleagues “to share in the sorrow” of the families of the deceased victims during the moment of silence. He also urged listeners to “just hold off” on speculating about the attack, and to give the families “a little bit of grace and peace as they deal with this loss.”

“They were expecting to see these kids for the Christmas holidays,” Whitehouse said.

Families of the hospitalized victims, he added, would “not going to be spending Christmas around the tree at home,” but instead “in a state away from home, where their children are, in their hospital room trying to be there for them.”

Britt, who released a statement on deceased victim Ella Cook ’28, said that since the shooting, she has “been inundated with text messages and calls” both from Alabama residents and individuals “across the country who encountered her,” speaking to “what an incredible young woman Ella Cook was.”

“She was everything that is great about our state,” Britt added. “The ripple of her life will be felt for generations to come.”

At 6:19 p.m., the University sent an alert that the Providence Police Department has asked any students who were in Barus & Holley on Dec. 12 or Dec. 13 to “arrange for an interview.”

The alert follows Smiley’s request at the 5 p.m. press conference for additional help from the community in the investigation.

When Trump was asked if he knew of why it has been challenging to identify the shooter, Trump responded that “it’s always difficult.”

“You would really have to ask the school a little bit more about that because this was a school problem,” Trump said. “They had their own guards, they had their own police, they had their own everything.” He added that the FBI came in “after the fact.”

Trump said the FBI has “done a very good job” of identifying shooters so far, citing their success in identifying the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk.

St. Stephen’s Church — located across from the Sharpe Refectory — will be hosting a “Community Service of Lament, Healing and Hope” on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

“The candlelight service is open to all and will include live solemn music, contemplative readings and reflections from community leaders,” a press release from the church reads.

The service will provide a space for the Brown and Rhode Island community to come together during “this time of grief,” the release states, noting that police security will be at the event.

The Providence Police Department released more video footage of the person of interest from the day of the shooting. The video was released on X and obtained by multiple news outlets. WPRI reported that Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha P’19 P’22 said that the person in the video is of “significant interest.” Neronha also said that authorities are “definitely getting closer” to identifying a suspect.

In the 19 seconds of footage reviewed by The Herald, the person of interest appears to be walking away from Barus and Holley, moving east on Waterman Street on the block between Hope and Cooke streets. The footage is timestamped at 4:06 p.m. on Saturday. The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. on Saturday.

On Monday afternoon, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were seen sweeping the area on Waterman Street. FBI agents searched through bushes, snow and a parking lot in the area. Around 3:42 p.m., FBI agents could be seen taking down crime scene tape in the Waterman Street area. Shortly after, FBI agents could also be seen in the area around the Orwig Music Library.

There will be increased police presence across Providence neighborhoods as the investigation continues, the Providence Police Department wrote in a 12:38 p.m. post on X. Police will be seeking “available camera footage” from businesses and residences, they added.

PPD reiterated that tips can be submitted via telephone or through the FBI website.

The post came an hour after officers responded to an “unfounded” report of “shots fired” east of campus, PPD wrote in an earlier post on X. After the area was cleared, they found the noise to be a boiler backfire, not gunfire.

Ella Cook ’28 has been confirmed as one of the deceased victims of Saturday's shooting, according to a statement from U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, who represents Alabama.

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov ’29 has been confirmed as one of the deceased victims of the shooting, according to a statement from U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick.

The University has not officially released the names of the victims.

Several higher education institutions in Rhode Island have released statements about the mass shooting on Saturday.

The University of Rhode Island, which has a campus located in Kingston, announced that in-person exams scheduled for Monday, Dec. 15 will not proceed as scheduled. Online exams will still take place, the statement added.

“Importantly, there is no known threat to our campuses,” the announcement read.

A statement from the Community College of Rhode Island, which has multiple campuses throughout R.I., wrote that all classes on Monday will be held remotely, given “the understandable anxiety some may be experiencing.” CCRI also noted that there is “no known threat” to its campuses, and that they will remain open.

Bryant University — located in Smithfield — said in a post on X that their final exam schedule would go unchanged, but all faculty were asked to “accommodate students” by providing alternatives to taking exams in person for students that need it.

“We rely on the professional judgment of our faculty to determine the form and modality of these accommodations,” the post reads.

Johnson and Wales University, which has its main campus in Providence, wrote in a message on X that they extend their “deepest sympathies” to Brown community members. “We stand with Brown,” the statement read.

Rhode Island College, located in Providence, said in a post on X that their “hearts go out” to members of the Brown community “during this tragic and devastating time.”

A Sunday night email to the Brown community confirmed the release of the person detained Sunday morning for the previous day’s shooting. The email also noted that “the University must defer to the Providence Police Department” before releasing information.

The message cited Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha P’19 P’22, who said in a Sunday night press conference that there is “no basis” to consider the individual released from custody a person of interest.

“Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate, and local police have advised they do not believe there is any immediate threat to Brown or the local community,” the email read. “The Department of Public Safety has more than doubled its staffing.”

The email provided the police department’s tip line for the “active police investigation” and advised “every member of the Brown community to be vigilant in their own activities on campus.”

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha P’19 P’22 said there was “no basis” to continue holding the person of interest in custody. Evidence previously gathered “now points in a different direction,” he added.

“Sometimes you head in one direction, and then you have to regroup and go in another,” he said during the 11 p.m. conference. He stressed that evaluating and analyzing evidence can be a lengthy process.

Smiley confirmed that law enforcement has reviewed all available video evidence recorded inside Barus and Holley, where the shooting took place, and there is “no additional actionable information.”

Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez confirmed during the press conference that the individual identified in a video released to the public late Saturday night is still the primary person of interest in the case.

Gov. Dan McKee reaffirmed the state’s support of individuals impacted by the shooting. McKee said that he spoke to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel on the phone ahead of the press conference on Sunday. He said the FBI committed continued resources to the response.

Neronha emphasized that the work of law enforcement officers will be thorough: “there is too much at stake … to take chances with respect to this investigation,” he said.

“There just weren’t a lot of cameras in that Brown building,” Neronha said. “Reality is, it’s an old building attached to a new one.”

Neronha acknowledged information leaks that revealed the name of the person of interest in custody to the public.

Smiley said that the previously instituted shelter in place policy on Brown’s campus and the surrounding neighborhood allowed law enforcement efforts to conduct their investigation uninterrupted. With no subsequent threat to the Brown or Providence community since the initial shooting, Smiley said, officials do not feel there is a continued threat in the area.

Still, Smiley reiterated that there would be an “enhanced” law enforcement presence across Providence. Smiley said there is “no way of knowing” whether the suspect has left the state.

The person of interest taken into custody on Sunday, Dec. 14 will be released shortly, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced at a press conference. He noted that this news may cause “fresh anxiety” to Rhode Island residents and members of the Brown community.

Correction: An old version of this update misstated that Smiley cited a lack of evidence in his explanation for why the person of interest would be released, and misquoted Smiley as saying the news may cause "frustration." The quote has been updated. The Herald regrets the error.

Eight hours ago, Tiffany Netto MD’27 set up a GoFundMe to support the victims of the mass shooting that took place yesterday. She hopes to raise money “to help cover medical and funeral expenses” for the victims, the GoFundMe description reads.

Netto wrote in an email to The Herald that she has reached out to President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 and deans at Warren Alpert Medical School “to facilitate the transfer of funds to the families.”

“As families are mourning I feel strongly that medical and funeral expenses should be the last things on their minds,” Netto wrote.

As of 9:30 p.m., she has raised over $19,600. Netto said she’s “hoping the momentum will continue over the next few days.”

Correction: An old version of this update misstated that the GoFundMe’s goal was initially $9,000 and was raised to $16,000. Netto’s target goal is $50,000, but the site automatically increases targets — starting at $9,000 — as they are met. The Herald regrets the error.

Investigation by local, state and federal officials “remains active and ongoing,” Providence Chief Public Information Officer for Public Safety Kristy DosReis wrote in a 7:58 p.m. press release. More information will be released as officials gain “a clearer and more complete picture of the circumstances involved.”

The 7:58 p.m. press release is the last for the evening, DosReis added.

Early decision notifications for the class of 2030 will be delayed for “up to 48 hours,” the Office of College Admission announced in an Instagram post. Decisions were set to be released tomorrow at 3 p.m.

“While we remain excited about the dedicated students eager to join Brown, we are prioritizing care and support for our community,” the post reads.

This afternoon, The Atlantic published an article by Xochitl Gonzalez ’99, a trustee on the Brown Corporation. Gonzalez wrote that she once thought mass shootings, like the one that occurred at Brown, were preventable. But now, she wonders “if that is not a bit of dated, magical thinking.” In her essay, she expressed disappointment at living in a country that has caused some Brown students to experience school shootings more than once.

Gonzalez is a staff writer at The Atlantic who previously published an article in response to the protests surrounding the Corporation’s decision not to divest from the conflict in Gaza. She is a New York Times best-selling author and a 2023 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary.

Over 24 hours after first reports of an active shooter on campus, eight students remain admitted at Rhode Island hospital. As of 2 p.m. today, one patient is in critical condition, six patients are in critical but stable condition and one patient is in stable condition. Out of the nine patients treated at the hospital, one has been discharged.

According to a Sunday press release, Gov. Dan McKee ordered R.I. buildings and facilities to lower state flags to half-staff “as a mark of solemn respect” for the victims of yesterday’s “horrific attack.” He requested that state residents do the same “as a sign of respect.”

“In the face of tragedy,” McKee said, “Rhode Island will do what we do best: come together with compassion and resolve to support one another.”

The city will not verify the person of interest’s identity until charges are brought, which could be tonight or tomorrow morning, said Kristy DosReis, Providence’s chief public information officer for Public Safety.

According to the Washington Post, the person of interest is a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin named Benjamin Erickson. Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for the city of Providence, said the city could not confirm or deny the identity of the person of interest.

Provost Francis Doyle sent an update to the Brown community at 3:07 p.m. explaining that undergraduate students will now have several options for how they can receive their final grades.

Students can accept a course grade based on coursework completed up until December 13th, or they can remotely complete final exams, papers and reports so long as they submit materials to professors prior to Jan. 7. Additionally, students have the ability to retroactively change their grade option to Satisfactory/No Credit regardless of whether they opt to submit additional assignments.

Final in-person exams at the Warren Alpert Medical School and the IE Brown Executive MBA program in the School of Professional Studies have not been cancelled. These students will be offered specific guidance “shortly,” according to the message.

Undergraduate students are required to select their grade options or opt to complete final assignments by Jan. 7. Professors will have until Jan. 14 to submit final grades. Doyle wrote that University administrators plan to work with department chairs and deans to ensure faculty members can complete their grading by the deadline.

For students who do not communicate their selection, their final grade will align with the option they chose earlier in the semester and will only include work completed before Dec. 13.

“As we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff in the wake of yesterday's tragic events, we must balance the importance of providing clear guidance on educational assessment with our responsibility to ensure the thriving of every member of our community,” Doyle wrote.

The University is currently working with the Office of Information Technology to determine how grades that were switched S/NC will be reflected on student transcripts, which will indicate that the grade modality was switched due to extenuating circumstances.

Doyle said he will follow up with students via email within the next week with further updates about transcript notations. He will send information about Winter Session courses in the coming days.

In spite of the University opening the Sharpe Refectory to all students — regardless of their meal plan — the dining hall was quieter than usual during lunchtime on Sunday. Many students were seen sitting at tables with suitcases and other travel items.

Student Support Services has set up a table for students near the entrance of the dining hall. A few feet away, students are writing messages of support for their peers in the hospital on sheets of poster paper.

“It should be how we come together as a community, rather than the violence, that defines this event,” said Daniel Soto Parra ’28, a student sitting at the poster table.

In a 3:36 p.m. email to the Brown community, Campus Life & Student Services provided a Google Form to help students who were present in Barus & Holley during the shooting retrieve their lost belongings.

The form is intended to help Campus Life replace “essential documents or technology,” and assist students in “accessing short-term financial or logistical support, such as travel assistance.”

The email also states that the Office of Informational Technology has opened the IT Service Center to provide loaner laptops to students over winter break. The service center is located at 510 Page-Robinson Hall.

On Sunday afternoon, staff from the Office of Residential Life and Public Safety were stationed at the Salomon Center and in the lobby of the Sciences Library.

“There were some belongings left behind by students who were in these buildings and left,” explained Sue Vieira, an assistant director in Residential Life. “So we're waiting and escorting them to go up and get their things.”

Vieira added that there were “not so many” things left behind in Salomon, but “there were quite a few things over at the Sciences Library.”

In an interview with the Providence Journal, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) stressed an urgent need to “improve not only the legislation, but the enforcement of the legislation.”

“We can improve on the system,” he added.

But, he noted how difficult it is to enact gun control policy. In order to pass legislation restricting firearm possession, “you have to be able to dissuade a large group of Americans that this will benefit them, that it won’t be a detriment.”

“I think this is another example to bring to Congress” to advocate for gun reform, Reed said.

CNN reported around 2:30 p.m. that multiple law enforcement officers have said that the man detained for the shooting is from Wisconsin and traveled to College Hill last night. 


As of 3:01 p.m., city officials can not confirm the information, City Spokesperson Josh Estrella wrote in an email to The Herald. 


The New York Times reported at 2:25 p.m. that the man in custody was located using his cell phone, where he was tracked to a hotel in Coventry, according to a source familiar with the investigation. The room had two firearms and one was equipped with “a laser targeting attachment,” the Times wrote. CNN also reported at 3:01 p.m. that “a revolver and a small Glock handgun with a laser sight attached” were found in the hotel room, citing “multiple federal law enforcement sources.” 


The FBI and the University did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Over the last 24 hours, Providence restaurants have announced free offerings for Brown students and first responders as the shelter in place order lifts. 


In a statement posted to Instagram, açaí bowl and smoothie eatery In the Pink R.I. — located at the intersection of Waterman Street and Thayer Street — wrote that their “hearts are broken.” 


“Please come into our store today so we can give you something on the house to make your day a little brighter,” the statement read. 


Heng Thai and Rotisserie, located just off the intersection of Angell Street and Thayer Street, wrote in an Instagram statement that they “consider the Brown community a part of who we are — many of you we call friends, and many we call family.” The statement said that the restaurant plans to remain open on Sunday “with heavy hearts, hoping that our food can offer comfort and healing, even if just a little.” 


Kabob and Curry, an Indian restaurant on Thayer Street, said that they were “devastated” by the news and offered free meals to students, faculty and first responders. 


Brown Bee Coffee, located on Benefit Street, offered Brown students a free croissant from 1-5 p.m. “We’re doing whatever we can to put a smile on Brown faces today,” a message posted to the coffee shop’s Instagram reads. 


Like No Udder, a vegan ice cream shop on Hope Street, offered one free cup or cone to Brown students, faculty and first responders. In the caption of their post on Instagram, the business wrote that “ice cream fixes a lot, but not everything.” 


North Kingstown business Allie’s Donuts offered free donuts to Brown students and faculty during their opening hours from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

In a 1:58 p.m. letter to the Rhode Island community, Governor Dan McKee wrote that he “cannot fathom” the fear and grief Brown community members have been experiencing since the shooting.

He wrote that students and emergency responders regularly participate in active shooter trainings and drills, and “yesterday, that action became all too real when a gunman opened fire on a classroom of innocent Brown University students.”

McKee commended the efforts of law enforcement, emergency responders and Mayor Brett Smiley’s office. He also pointed to a crisis line and drop-in center set up by Family Service of R.I. in collaboration with city, state and University officials. “Anyone in the community who is struggling with yesterday’s events can stop in and talk to a caring professional,” he wrote.

“Right now, our community is in pain,” McKee wrote. “As a lifelong Rhode Islander, it comes as no surprise to me that when a crisis occurs, we pull together to help and, in time, heal.”

President Donald Trump began his remarks at a White House Christmas reception by sending his regards to Brown. Trump said he hoped the nine injured “get well fast.”

“Brown University — great school, great, great, really one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world. Things can happen,” he said.

At a press conference, Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that law enforcement has “detained a person of interest involved in yesterday’s shooting,” and he informed local residents that the shelter-in-place orders on Brown’s campus and its surrounding neighborhood have been lifted.

He thanked “all the hardworking men and women in law enforcement that worked throughout the night.”

Over 400 law enforcement officers were in the area investigating the shooting last night, The Herald previously reported.

“We’ll continue to work with the city of Providence and across Brown University to make sure that everything is being done … to help those who’ve been impacted by this event, and we’ll continue to stand with you as time goes on,” Governor Dan McKee said.

Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez said that next steps for PPD include coordinating with prosecutors and collecting further evidence before sharing more details with the public. “I have a responsibility to respect the integrity of this investigation,” he said.

The department aims to share the name of the person of interest “as soon as possible,” Perez said. “It’s all hands on deck,” he said during the press conference.

Ted Docks, the special agent in charge for the Boston Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said that law enforcement “came together within 24 hours” to bring the person of interest into custody. Law enforcement officers, he said, worked throughout the night “literally not sleeping” in the hopes of bringing a sense “of ease and calm” to the community.

Law enforcement officers plan to maintain a presence in the city and particularly on College Hill, Perez said.

During the press conference, Smiley also said that the investigation of the person of interest currently in custody is “ongoing,” and the police perimeter will remain in place for the time being.

“We’re still in the process of collecting evidence,” he said.

He added that city officials “will provide more details on the victims” at a later time.

Due to holiday travel, not all of the victim’s families have been notified, Smiley said.

President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 said that Brown community members were “reeling” following the shooting yesterday. Her priority, she said, was to help community members “feel safe and secure on campus.”

This morning, the Undergraduate Council of Students organized a Community Assistance form to connect students to resources and to urge individuals to donate “items, funds, professional skills” and contribute “anything they can provide to this effort.” 


Brown and Providence community members may be “unable to access food, mental care, transportation” and other resources, the form’s description reads. “Many in Providence are able to fill this resource gap.”

In a noon press conference, Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez said that the person detained at the police station, “is actually a person in his 20s,” not in his 30s as previously stated.

In a post on X, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel shared additional information on how the person of interest was detained.

FBI Boston “established a command post to intake, develop and analyze leads, and run them to ground,” Patel wrote in the post. “We activated the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, to provide critical geolocation capabilities.”

With those capabilities, the FBI Boston Safe Streets Task Force, along with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Coventry Police Department were able to locate and detain the person of interest in a hotel room in Coventry, he said.

The FBI is now processing and reconstructing the shooting scene, and a portal has been set up for public images and video related to the incident, Patel said.

“The FBI’s victim specialists are fully integrating with our partners to provide resources to victims and survivors of this horrific violence,” Patel said, adding that there will be an “all out 24/7 campaign until justice is fully served.”

“Thanks to the men and women of the FBI and our partners for their continued teamwork,” Patel added. “Please continue praying for the victims and their families - as well as all those at Brown University.”

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for additional comments.

In an email to Brown students, Vice President for Campus Life Patricia Poitevien ’94 MD’98 shared available resources and updates for students who wish to retrieve belongings that have been left behind. 


Students can retrieve their belongings from the Sciences Library until 3 p.m. and from the Salomon Center between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. They will be escorted through the buildings by staff from the Office of Residential Life and Public Safety. 


“In moments like this, it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions, including shock, fear, sadness, anger, numbness, or confusion. There is no ‘right’ way to respond,” Poitevien wrote. “What matters is that you take care of yourself and reach out for support when you need it.”

A change.org petition organized by Sabela Chelba — a student at the Rhode Island School of Design — and circulated by members of the Brown and RISD communities calls on both institutions to “collaborate on a unified emergency alert system.” 


“Given the geographical overlap between both campuses, both student bodies must be equally informed and safe from on-campus threats,” the petition reads.

As of 11:36 a.m. on Sunday morning, the petition has reached over 830 verified signatures.

One comment on the petition posted by an individual identifying themself as a RISD student said that the RISD community was “not alerted about the active shooter for a whole hour after the message went out to Brown students.”

“As soon as the incident was reported, we alerted our community members to avoid Brown’s campus and the affected areas,” RISD President Crystal Williams wrote in a statement to the RISD community obtained by The Herald. In her message, she noted that “RISD’s campus is relatively quiet,” as the school’s fall term concluded on Dec. 12. The statement directed students to follow Brown’s emergency updates page for additional updates.

The Brown Department of Public Safety initially notified students of police activity around 4:20 p.m. on Saturday. A 4:30 p.m. RISD message obtained by The Herald notified students of “police activity reported in the area of Brook and Thayer Streets,” but did not identify the incident as an active shooting.

According to alerts reviewed by The Herald, RISD alerts first identified the incident as a shooting at 5:31 p.m. yesterday evening, reporting shots fired near Governor Street. In a fourth alert at 5:27 p.m. yesterday, Brown DPS reported the same news, but at 6:10 p.m., described the earlier report of shots fired on Governor Street as “unfounded.”

Spencer Yang ’29 was shot in the leg after the gunman entered the ECON 0110: “Principles of Economics” final exam review session, he told The Herald.

“Just as we’re … getting ready to leave, we hear gunshots,” Yang said. “So everyone kind of scrambles to try to get to the front of the class and hide.”

“I didn’t make it all the way to the front, so I kind of (lay) between some seats,” he said. “Then the shooter came in, started shooting — I got hit in the leg.”

Yang said there was a moment of silence, and then he heard screaming. After the gunman left, Yang tried to help other students. Some of the students around him were “seriously injured,” he said.

“I tried to keep some people conscious and keep them awake — people who were more injured than I was,” he said. “I was fine. I pulled myself up and could move around well.”

Yang said that police entered the room a few minutes later and evacuated uninjured students. A police officer helped walk him out of the building, he added. Shortly after, another police officer drove him to Rhode Island Hospital in a police vehicle, where he is currently being treated.

A few of Brown’s faith communities are open today and hosting services for students.

The Brown-RISD Catholic Community will have Mass at 10:30 a.m. at 51 Prospect Street, Justin Bolger, associate chaplain of the University for the Catholic community, wrote in an Instagram post. He wrote that the Mass will be a “repose of the students who passed away.” Another service will be hosted at 8:30 p.m. at a location yet to be decided.

Brown RISD Hillel will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and will provide students with bagels, according to an Instagram story post. A joint menorah lighting with Chabad of College Hill for the first night of Hanukkah will take place at 5 p.m. on Olive Street.

President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 has been speaking to students getting breakfast in the Sharpe Refectory this morning about their responses to the active shooter incident, students there told The Herald.

“She asked me and my friends how we slept and how we were feeling,” Riya Singh ’28 said. “She also mentioned that there will probably be a vigil before everyone leaves campus.”

In a statement posted to Instagram, owners of popular College Hill coffee shop Ceremony — a few blocks from Barus and Holley — said that their landlord David Baskin and his family “stayed up through the night reviewing surveillance footage alongside the FBI.”

Law enforcement officers “were able to spot the individual walking through the neighborhood, and all information has been shared directly with authorities,” according to the statement.

In an 8:49 a.m. email, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 shared updates with Brown parents and families. The message reiterated information previously sent out to community members by Paxson and Provost Francis Doyle.

“We continue to focus our full attention on caring for our community,” Paxson wrote. According to her email, an estimated “couple of thousand students” were relocated by law enforcement overnight to areas outside of the police perimeter

Food is available for all students at the Sharpe Refectory, according to an 8:39 a.m. alert.

All remaining classes, exams and papers or projects for the semester will “not take place as scheduled,” Provost Francis Doyle wrote in an 8:24 a.m. email to the Brown community. “This choice was made out of our profound concern for all students, faculty and staff on our campus.”

More information will be released regarding finals in the coming days, he added.

All students are permitted to leave campus if they wish and on-campus services and support will be available for students who stay, Doyle wrote. “For the moment, we encourage everyone to focus on their own safety and well-being.”

“At this time, it is essential that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to the members of our community as we grapple with the sorrow, fear and anxiety that is impacting all of us right now,” Doyle wrote. “University leaders are committed to providing care and mobilizing resources to assist our community members through this difficult time.”

In a 8:13 a.m. email to Brown community members, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20  wrote that her “goal is for our community to work together to get through this difficult time and feel safe on our campus again.”

In the email, Paxson also wrote that although the campus is no longer under lockdown, “there continues to be limited access to some areas of campus as police continue to investigate yesterday’s shooting.” Areas within the police investigation perimeter “are still considered an active crime scene,” and “if residents decide to leave, police cannot allow them to return,” she explained.

Paxson said she is “deeply moved by all the students who opened their homes and their arms to welcome friends.” She also noted that University administrators transported some students to local hotels.

Of the eight shooting victims currently hospitalized, she wrote, seven students are in “critical but stable condition,” but one student continues to be in critical condition. One student was treated and released from the hospital, The Herald previously reported.

Paxson wrote that her email would be followed by an update from Provost Francis Doyle, who “will share an update shortly on academic operations for the campus.”

“We will be considering the impact of these heartbreaking events in considering whether scheduled events should proceed,” she wrote.

The person of interest in custody is a male individual in his 30s, according to Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez.

The person of interest was detained earlier this morning, according to Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez. He added that the department will coordinate with prosecutors, collect evidence, conduct interviews and share more details when “appropriate and accurate.”

Officials will also be arriving in Providence to “work with the victims,” according to Ted Docks, the special agent in charge for the Boston Field Office.

“The state of Rhode Island is in shock,” said Governor Dan McKee. Smiley added that there will be increased police presence throughout the city. “We are doing that in a proactive manner for the comfort and reassurance of our community," he said.

“The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning,” Smiley added.

The University has canceled four finals today, according to Provost Francis Doyle. They are currently putting together guidance for the coming week. There are no more updates on finals as of now.

“We have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 said.

At a 7:00am press conference, Provost Francis Doyle, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20, Mayor Brett Smiley and other state officials provided an update to the community.

“We have detained a person of interest,” said Smiley.

Of the students hospitalized, seven are in stable condition, one is in critical but stable condition and one has been discharged, said Smiley.

Reports from NBC 10 and other news outlets state that a person of interest is currently in police custody. Smiley is hosting a press conference at 7 a.m., where more updates are expected.

According to a 5:42 a.m. BrownUAlert, the shelter in place order for Brown's campus has been lifted. Police remain present on campus. Community members within the police perimeter are advised that if they leave buildings, they will not be permitted to reenter.

Shuttles are now transporting students living in Graduate Center and Vartan Gregorian Quadrangle from the OMAC.

Shuttles to Lloyd Avenue, Congdon Street, Angell Street and Benefit Street have begun to take students from the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center to their off-campus residences. Shuttles will also stop at Casa Machado, Harambe House, North House and West House.

Students in dorms located on South Campus have not yet been permitted to leave the OMAC.

Students have begun to be released from the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center in waves, according to officials on site. Graduate students and students with friends or family waiting for them at the Jonathan Nelson ’77 Fitness Center were among the first allowed to leave the OMAC, followed by undergraduate students living off-campus.

Students living in North Campus dorms — including New Pembroke, Emery-Woolley and Andrews — were then allowed to leave through shuttles organized by officials. As of 2:40 a.m., students living in the Wellness Residential Experience at Sternlicht Commons will be the next group permitted to leave.

In a 1:53 a.m. email to Brown community members, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 wrote that “this is an unimaginably tragic day — a day that no university community is ever prepared for.”

In the email, Paxson clarified that as the shelter-in-place order remains ongoing, students in residence halls should not leave their buildings, and that “students in off-campus residences are advised to remain there until the lockdown is lifted.”

Students in academic or administrative buildings inside the perimeter established by law enforcement as part of the active crime scene “have been and continue to be evacuated” to the OMAC on RIPTA buses and Brown shuttles, she wrote. Students in the athletic center are being advised if they can leave the location “depending on whether their destination is within or outside the perimeter established by police,” she added.

Paxson’s email confirmed that the nine victims injured in the shooting are all Brown students, and she expressed her condolences for the two students who passed away. One student was treated and released from the R.I. hospital, she wrote. Of the remaining students still hospitalized, six students remain in critical but stable condition, one student is in critical condition and another is “considered in stable condition.” Paxson did not disclose further information about the victims of the shooting.

In the email, Paxson advised parents and families not to travel to Brown’s campus “for their safety.”

Community members are still being evacuated from non-residential buildings to the established police perimeter, according to a 1:54 a.m. BrownUAlert update. The shelter in place for the campus and surrounding areas remains in place.

Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students Koren Bakeggard gathered graduate and undergraduate students whose parents have arrived in the lobby of the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center after midnight on Sunday, students at the OMAC told The Herald.

According to students at the athletic center, a supervisor announced that “if you are an undergraduate student whose … parent is at the Nelson Center, join us upstairs.”

Asa Holcombe ’29, a student sheltering at the athletic center, said a University official told students at the athletic center a short while ago that graduate and medical students could start lining up to leave the OMAC. She confirmed that undergraduate students whose parents came to pick them up would also be able to leave the athletic center.

Officials on site are in the process of developing a formal release plan for medical and graduate students, as well as undergraduate students who are accompanied by parents, according to students in the athletic center. In a subsequent wave, students who live off campus will be permitted to leave the athletic center. Officials are organizing a shuttle service to bring off-campus students to their homes.

Over the course of several hours following the shooting, many students have gradually been evacuated to the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center.

Asa Holcombe ’29, who has been sheltering in place at the OMAC since around 8:10 p.m., described the scene as “a little chaotic” but added that “the community is really coming together and supporting each other.” “There are students playing pickup basketball, there are some huddled together talking and there are snack wrappers scattered everywhere,” she said.

Holcombe said that Brown Dining Services “brought lots of snacks and some pizza” for students earlier in the day. She added that just after 11 p.m., dining services started serving catered food — including pasta, salad and chicken — but that after 40 minutes of standing in line, she hasn’t had the chance to “eat real food yet,” mostly relying on snacks.

She noted that “many students are very hungry,” and that “the line for this food extends about half a length of the track.”

She added that the OMAC “feels very secure” — law enforcement officers are surrounding the building and have maintained a presence inside the OMAC, she said.

Three other Ivy League universities — Cornell, Columbia and Dartmouth — have released communication regarding the shooting as of 1:27 a.m. on Sunday.

“This unspeakable violence struck a university community during final exams as students, faculty and staff prepare for the end of a semester and to spend time with loved ones,” wrote Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff in a statement. “Our hearts go out to everyone at Brown.”

“We are shocked and horrified, and our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone in the Brown community,” Columbia Executive Vice President for University Life and Wellbeing Melanie Bernitz wrote in a Saturday statement to the Columbia community.

There is no heightened threat at Columbia, but the school is “conducting additional building checks” and participating with the New York Police Department “out of an abundance of caution,” she added.

Both universities urged students to take advantage of resources available following the shooting.

Dartmouth reminded students of available resources in light of the shooting in a Saturday Instagram story post.

At the 11:10 p.m. press conference, which Smiley said would be the last of the evening, Smiley said that the FBI has set up a website for individuals to submit information, including photos and videos. He added that the Providence Police Department also has a telephone tip line.

At the time of the press conference, Smiley said that officials have not found any “useful video” leading to the identity or location of the suspected gunman. The investigation remains ongoing and police are interviewing witnesses.

There will be “an enhanced, invisible law enforcement presence throughout the community” Sunday, he added.

Governor Dan McKee reiterated the state’s commitment to continue working with law enforcement and federal officials at this time. “The state pledges all its resources to the city of Providence,” he said, adding that they will “make sure that justice comes to the individual that pulled the trigger.”

“The state is coming together as a whole around this issue,” he added. “I’m happy that we’re able to respond, but very sad about what we’re responding to.”

Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez thanked municipal, state and federal agencies for supporting the Providence Police Department. “It goes without saying that this city is well-protected and will continue to be well-protected,” he said.

Provost Francis Doyle noted that President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 visited students in the hospital and was at the shelter-in-place location.

At the third press conference of the evening, Mayor Brett Smiley said that city officials at this time “do not feel that it is necessary” for local residents to cancel holiday-related events planned for the weekend or throughout the week, but instead that it is “a personal choice” individuals can make.

“We do believe you can safely go to church in the morning,” Smiley said, adding that there is no reliable information that there is “an ongoing threat from this individual” and there would be increased “law enforcement presence throughout the community tomorrow.”

As of now, final exams scheduled for Sunday have been postponed, Provost Francis Doyle said during the press conference. Deadlines for final projects due Monday have also been extended, according to updates students received from professors.

Students have started to be bused from University libraries to secure locations, multiple sources told The Herald. Some students who were sheltering in the Rockefeller and Sciences Libraries have been moved to the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center.

A video released by city officials to multiple news outlets — including The Herald — shows a person of interest walking east at the intersection of Hope Street and Waterman Street, away from Barus and Holley. The individual in the video is male and wearing all black, matching the description of a possible suspect that Providence Deputy Chief of Police Timothy O’Hara previously shared at the press conference scheduled for 9:30 p.m.

Ted Docks, special agent in charge at the Boston field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation — which also oversees their Rhode Island operation — said during the third press conference of the evening that the bureau has “brought every resource to bear” in Providence. "The full breadth of the FBI” has been brought in to investigate the shooting, he said.

“We will turn over every stone to make sure that we bring this individual to justice,” Docks added.

A perimeter has been established around part of Brown’s campus by law enforcement, according to an 11:06 p.m. campus-wide alert.

“Individuals already in residential buildings within the perimeter should continue to shelter in place there,” the alert reads. All those in non-residential buildings will be evacuated outside of the perimeter.

The perimeter spans from Hope Street to Prospect Street from east to west. North to south, it spans from Waterman Street to Charlesfield Street west of Thayer Street, and Waterman Street to George Street east of Thayer Street. It also includes blocks between Waterman and Angell Streets and Brook and Hope Streets.

In response to a question from a reporter during the press conference, Paxson said that she was on a flight to Washington, D.C. when the shooting took place, but that after learning of the shooting, she returned to Providence.

A number of Providence businesses closed early tonight due to the active shooter situation on College Hill.

Plant City, a vegan restaurant located on South Water Street near the Providence River, wrote on their Instagram stories, “We are now closed in Providence due to active shooter at Brown University,” around 8 p.m.

“The Plant City community is deeply saddened by the tragedy at Brown University,” Plant City wrote in an Instagram post.

The downtown bar EGO also closed its doors tonight “out of an abundance of caution,” an Instagram post stated.

A Providence Place Mall employee told WPRI that before the mall’s usual closing time of 9 p.m., she was informed the mall was being closed because of the shooting. People inside the mall were told to evacuate.

Arts organization AS220, which is located downtown on Empire Street, cancelled all of their events for the night. Sport and Leisure, a bar on North Main Street near the RISD campus, also closed for the night, wishing “peace and love” to Providence.

As of 10 p.m., all nine injured are being treated at Rhode Island Hospital. The ninth victim is in stable condition, according to Kelly Brennan, Senior Public Relations Officer for the hospital. The hospital remains on lockdown and is still accepting patients at the emergency department.

Providence Deputy Chief of Police Timothy O’Hara said that after the suspect exited Barus and Holley on Hope Street, he turned onto Waterman Street.

The suspect was wearing “dark gray or black clothing,” O’Hara said, adding that “he may have been wearing a camouflage gray mask,” though this is unconfirmed. O’Hara said that the individual “could be in his 30s,” but that law enforcement officers “are not positive“ about this detail.

While city officials have obtained footage depicting the suspect exiting Barus and Holley, they have yet to identify the suspect in any video inside the building, O’Hara said. Smiley also said during the press conference, that officials “do not, at this time, have video that we have seen of the individual coming into the building.”

Daniel Zhao ’27 was taking a physics final exam in the Salomon Center’s De Ciccio Family Auditorium when a teaching assistant proctoring the test announced that they had been notified of a shooting. “You could tell the entire room was instantly shaken,” he wrote in a message to The Herald.

According to Zhao, students were told to “block the door with our backpacks and to try to stay quiet.” The announcement came near the end of the final, which Zhao said was “very close to finishing.”

“As much as I wanted to finish, it was obvious to prioritize safety, so I did not continue working on the exam,” he wrote. At around 5:40 p.m., about an hour after the teaching assistant made the announcement, the class evacuated to the basement of the Salomon Center, where students currently remain in lockdown.

U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I. 2) wrote in a statement that he is in contact with University and local officials and urged community members to follow law enforcement instructions as the situation continues to unfold.

“I am deeply saddened by the shooting that occurred today on Brown University's campus, and am praying for the victims and their families,” Magaziner wrote. “It is devastating that this tragedy struck so close to home today, targeting innocent members of the Brown Community as they prepared to head home for the holidays.”

Providence Deputy Chief of Police Timothy O’Hara confirmed that the shooting took place inside a classroom in Barus and Holley.

At the press conference, Paxson said that both individuals who died during the shooting are students. She also confirmed that the eight victims previously reported as injured were students, and reported that a ninth individual was injured during the shooting.

At a press conference scheduled for 9:30 p.m., Mayor Brett Smiley emphasized that the shelter in place remains in effect for Brown’s campus and the surrounding neighborhood, but that city officials “have no reason to believe that there are any additional threats at this time” outside this area. He noted that, at the time of the press conference, over 400 law enforcement officers were in the area.

McKee noted that state resources would be made available to support ongoing law enforcement efforts.

During the press conference, McKee also said that during a phone call he received earlier today, President Trump expressed the urgency of identifying and apprehending the shooter — an individual “that brought so much suffering to so many people,” McKee said.

In a press release, U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I. 1) expressed his condolences and thanked law enforcement, first responders and medical professionals.

Amo also said that “the scourge of mass shootings is a horrific stain on our nation.”

“We must seek policies to ensure that these tragedies do not strike yet another community and no more lives are needlessly taken from us,” he added.

As of 7:20 p.m., of the eight shooting victims currently at Rhode Island Hospital, six are in critical but stable condition, one is in critical condition and one is in stable condition, according to Kelly Brennan, Senior Public Relations Officer for the hospital.

“Rhode Island Hospital is in lockdown at this time but is still accepting emergency department patients,” Brennan said, adding that the hospital has remained in “continuous communication with Brown University.”

At 8:13 p.m., U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) wrote in a post on X that his “heart breaks for students who were looking forward to a holiday break and instead are dealing with another horrifying mass shooting, this time in our own Providence community.”

“We will get through this as a community,” he wrote in a follow-up post on the platform.

In a 8:40 p.m. statement, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) wrote that the shooting is “a horrific, active and unfolding tragedy.”

“Brown’s students and its neighbors are shaken,” he noted.

To apprehend the shooter, “every lead is being followed, every bit of video evidence reviewed, and the manhunt will relentlessly continue,” Reed wrote. “Our efforts will not cease until justice is served.”

The Rhode Island School of Design put a “critical update” of the shooting on their website, alerting the RISD community that the “situation remains ongoing.” The update added that the shooter is “still at large” and advised students to avoid the area of Barus and Holley.

At 8:30 p.m., Paxson wrote in a statement sent to parents and families that “there are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today.”

Paxson noted that though earlier in the day, DPS “was at one point informed that there was an individual in custody, that person was determined not to be a shooting suspect after questioning.”

She also wrote that the eight victims currently hospitalized “are in critical but stable condition, but that this is an evolving situation.”

“Our hearts are with their families,” she added.

Police officers are planning to use buses to evacuate students, officers told community members in the Rockefeller Library. Multiple videos reviewed by The Herald showed officers sweeping University libraries.

Students have been sheltering across campus since the incident began to unfold earlier today. According Katie Owens ’29, students in the Sharpe Refectory were brought away from the windows by staff around 4:30 p.m. and were later evacuated to a safer part of the building around 5:30 p.m.

“It took everyone a few minutes for everyone to realize what was happening,” Aamina Chaudry ’28 wrote in a text to The Herald. “The staff started to bring as many people who were running around outside into safety before they locked the doors.”

Approximately 140 students are still hiding in the building, according to staff.

In an 8:28 p.m. alert, DPS warned community members to shelter in place, reiterating the need to keep “all doors locked.”

In a 7:28 p.m. statement posted to X, U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I. 1) wrote that “the loss of two lives is a tragedy” and that he is “praying for the recovery of the victims in the hospital.”

In a post on X last edited at 7:34 p.m., U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner ’06 (D-R.I. 2) wrote that the University “is the site of so many happy memories” for him. He added that students “whose memories will be forever marred by this tragedy, and the families of those lost tonight” are in his thoughts.

Susanna Sharp ’29 wrote in a message to The Herald that she was studying in Barus and Holley when she heard “around 15 to 20” loud noises, unsure if they were gunshots. But after two other students in the room received phone calls shortly after, Sharp began to grow concerned. “I jumped from my seat,” she wrote.

As they were exiting the building, she added, she saw that tables in the Engineering Research Cafe — located in the lobby of Barus and Holley — had student belongings lying on them, but there were no students sitting at the tables. She assumes that “most of the first floor ran out when the shots happened.”

In an email to the Brown Community, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 confirmed that there were two fatalities and eight more victims in critical but stable condition, though the situation is “evolving." Law enforcement is still working to identify the victims, she wrote, but Brown may not be able to immediately release their identities.

The suspect is still at large and campus will remain locked down, she said. Updates will continue to be sent out though the RAVE alert system and the Brown website.

Paxson encouraged community members to reach out to their families. “They are worried about you,” she wrote.

“This is a deeply tragic day for Brown, our families and our local community," Paxson added. “There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building.”

President Trump told reporters outside the White House that “all we can do right now is pray for the victims.”

“It’s a shame,” he added.

In a 6:56 p.m. statement posted to X, Vice President JD Vance wrote that “we’re all thinking of and praying for the victims tonight.”

In a 7:30 p.m. alert, DPS shared that the situation remains ongoing and advised individuals to remain sheltered in place.

In messages to The Herald, Martyna Kaps ’29 wrote that as she was leaving a 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. review session in Barus and Holley 166 for ECON 0110: “Principles of Economics,” she heard “loud bangs” and saw students running from the room.

“There were still people in the classroom,” she added. “From what I heard, many of them dove behind the teacher’s desk and hid there to avoid the bullets.”

In a press conference, Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed two deceased victims and eight others in critical but stable conditions at Rhode Island Hospital. No shooter is in custody, he added, and a shelter in place is still active for the “broader Brown Community.”

"It's important to remind folks these numbers may change," Smiley said at the press conference.

Providence Police Department Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara said in a press conference that officers conducted a “systematic” search of Barus and Holley and one suspect was initially identified. “The suspect is a male dressed in black” who “exited on the Hope Street side of the complex,” he said. “No suspect is under arrest,” he added, and he urged people to stay out of the area.

Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva also confirmed “two victims were dead on arrival” in the press conference.

At the press conference, Brown University Police Chief Rodney Chatman said that the situation is “very fluid” and “dynamically evolving.”

Providence City Councilman John Goncalves posted a video to his Instagram warning viewers to take safety precautions and “allow first responders to do their work.” He advised viewers to listen only to official correspondence from Brown University and local law enforcement.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Brown University community and everyone impacted by this event,” he said.

Brown will be setting up a family reunification center at 7:00 p.m., Mayor Brett Smiley said in a press conference.

In a 6:34 p.m. email sent to the Brown community, University administrators wrote that there were “confirmed reports of two deceased victims” from the active shooting at Barus and Holley, with eight additional victims “in critical, but stable condition.” The deceased victims have yet to be identified. The email added that law enforcement officials do not have a suspect in custody.

In a 6:06 p.m. post on X, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson offered prayers to Brown University students and law enforcement.

In a 6:06 p.m. email to the Brown community, University administrators confirmed that there are multiple shooting victims who have been transported to local hospitals. Students in Barus and Holley, where there were multiple ongoing final exams, have been relocated, they said.

“Senior administrative leaders from across the University are convened in emergency command to mobilize ongoing response and support for our community. We are establishing support for our community and families,” administrators wrote.

In a 5:44 p.m. Truth Social post, President Trump wrote that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are on campus and a suspect has been apprehended. He retracted his statement that a suspect was apprehended at 6:03 p.m. in a second post.