Providence, Rhode Island — At least two people were killed and eight others were hospitalized following an active shooting Saturday at Brown University’s Barus & Holley Engineering Building, the university said in an alert. The suspect remains at large and law enforcement continues to search the area.
Brown confirmed two fatalities and said eight additional victims were taken to hospital in critical but stable condition. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order while police canvassed the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
The university said it understands the fear and uncertainty in the community and stressed that police and emergency personnel are working to identify the deceased and to notify families. Students, staff and residents were urged to follow law enforcement instructions, avoid the area, and anyone who was inside the Barus & Holley building during the incident and has since left was asked to contact police.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the city, Brown University and the FBI are coordinating the response to locate the shooter. Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O’Hara described the suspect as a male dressed in black and said authorities are using all available resources. Police confirmed the suspect exited the building on the Hope Street side; they are still determining how he entered.
CNN, citing law enforcement sources, reported officers were involved in a separate confrontation a few blocks away that resulted in gunfire. It was not immediately clear whether that encounter is connected to the campus shooting.
The Barus & Holley Engineering Building, built in 1965, houses numerous facilities including laboratories, offices, classrooms and lecture halls. Brown University is a private Ivy League research institution and one of the oldest centers of higher education in the United States.
Media analyses cited by CNN note that more than 70 school shootings have occurred in the U.S. so far this year, based on data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week and Everytown for Gun Safety.
This report is based on information from a syndicated feed and local authorities and was published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for independent verification of the material.
