A gunman dressed in dark clothing opened fire at Brown University on Sunday during final exams, killing at least two people and wounding eight, officials said. Campus and local police searched the area for the suspect, who was last seen leaving the engineering building where the shooting took place.
Officers spread across the university and into an adjacent upscale neighborhood, checking academic buildings, yards and porches for hours after the attack began. Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara identified the suspect as a male in dark attire who was seen exiting the engineering facility. A law enforcement source, speaking anonymously because the probe was active, said investigators believe a handgun was used.
Rhode Island has some of the nation’s toughest gun regulations. Last spring the Democratic-led legislature approved an assault-weapons ban that will prohibit the sale and manufacture of certain high-powered firearms beginning next July; the law does not bar current possession. Governor Dan McKee called the shooting unimaginable.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley ordered nearby residents to shelter in place while police searched for the assailant and said all available resources were being used to locate the suspect. The FBI said it was helping with the response.
Students and witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion. Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, said she was in the engineering lobby working on a final when she heard loud pops, realized they were gunshots and fled to a nearby building, where she waited for hours. Doctoral student Chiangheng Chien said people in a nearby lab hid under desks and turned off lights after receiving an emergency alert.
Eight gunshot victims were taken to Rhode Island Hospital. A hospital spokesperson said six were in critical but stable condition, one was in critical condition and one was stable.
Authorities initially reported that a suspect was in custody but later clarified that no one had been arrested in connection with the shooting. The mayor said a person briefly detained was subsequently cleared of involvement. Several hours after the attack, officers in tactical gear escorted students out of some buildings and into a campus fitness center.
The shooting occurred in the Barus and Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses Brown’s School of Engineering and the physics department. The building contains more than 100 labs in addition to classrooms and offices; engineering design exams were under way at the time.
Students sheltered in place for hours. Brown senior Alex Bruce, who lives in a dorm across from the engineering building, said he heard sirens and received an active-shooter alert shortly after 4 p.m. He described feeling shaken while watching armed officers surround his dorm and worrying about a friend who may have been inside the targeted building. Junior Mari Camara said she took refuge in a nearby taqueria for over three hours while police searched the campus, adding that students were stunned and terrified.
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed, urged prayers for the victims and called the incident a tragedy. Brown University, founded in the 18th century, enrolls roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students; costs for tuition, housing and fees can approach nearly $100,000 per year, according to the school.
