In a key development in the Brown University shooting case, authorities have identified a 24-year-old man as a person of interest.Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old man, was arrested before dawn on Sunday, at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, Rhode Island, following an 11-hour manhunt, the New York Post reported. He was sought in connection with a mass shooting at Brown University’s Providence campus during a final-exam study session on Saturday around 4.30 pm. Two students were killed and nine more wounded when the gunman opened fire.Police said Erickson was not a current student but investigators were examining whether he had studied at Brown or had other ties to the institution. He was being held as a person of interest; No charges had been filed.
Was Erikson part of US Army
According to the records, Erickson served in the US Army. He served as an infantryman in the US Army from May 2021 to November 2024, leaving the military with the rank of specialist, an Army rep told The Post.His voter registration showing a “statehood” party affiliation, according to public records.
What police found at his hotel room?
Law-enforcement officials said the shooter was armed with a handgun and fired more than 40 9 mm rounds. CCTV footage showed a man matching his description walking along a road near the campus before the attack. Shell casings were marked with evidence tags inside the building where the shooting took place.Investigators were also probing whether Erickson had long-standing mental-health issues, sources said. “The man told authorities he had been in his room the entire time Saturday when the shooting took place,” CNN said.The motive remained unclear. Erickson did not immediately appear to have any criminal history, according to public records. A revolver and a small handgun fitted with a special laser light were found in his hotel room, sources and CNN reported. Sources told The Post that the unique laser light on the handgun helped lead them to the person of interest.The FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey team geolocated Erickson to the Coventry hotel, according to agency director Kash Patel. Police also used video evidence, tips from the public, an examination of license-plate readers and other leads to track him, CNN said.
What happened at Brown University?
The shooting occurred around 4.30 pm during a final exam review session for an economics class run by Rachel Friedberg, who also served as a faculty associate of the school’s Program in Judaic Studies. One victim remained in critical condition, seven were listed as stable and one had been discharged, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters on Sunday morning.“We continue to be in mourning as a community about the tragic loss of life from gun violence that stole the lives of two of our students yesterday,” Brown University President Christina Paxson said in a statement. “The past 24 hours really have been unimaginable — it’s a tragedy that no university community is ever ready for. While we always prepare for major crises, we also pray such a day never comes” she added.A shelter-in-place order was lifted on the campus, although all final exams were cancelled. “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,” school Provost Francis J. Doyle III said in a message.
Trump offers condolences
US President Trump also mourned the victims, speaking at a White House Christmas event shortly before a mass shooting in Australia’s Bondi Beach. “I want to just pay my respects to the people, unfortunately, two are no longer with us, Brown University, nine injured, and two are looking down on us right now from Heaven,” Trump said.A candlelight vigil was held for the victims at Lippitt Memorial on Sunday instead of the town’s holiday light celebration, Providence Councilwoman Sue AnderBois said as hundreds gathered. “We are gathered here to share light with one another in one of Providence’s darkest times,” she said. “Our hearts break for the two students at Brown who lost their lives to gun violence yesterday, and the nine others who are injured, and their families and the whole Brown and Greater Providence community.
