Providence police said they still have no clear lead into the shooting reported at Brown University, hours after the incident, as questions were raised about what authorities and university officials knew in its aftermath.Officials said that no suspect is currently in custody, contradicting an earlier statement from the university that one person had been detained.
During a press interaction, a reporter questioned the university president about the lack of information regarding what occurred inside the classroom where the shooting took place. The reporter pointed out that six hours had passed since the incident and asked how details might still have been unavailable.In response, Brown University President Christina H Paxson said she “did not know” the details of the shooting, as of yet.When asked whether there was video footage from inside the building during the shooting, Providence police said they do not possess any video that “depicts” the shooter so far.“I haven’t seen him on video inside that building,” an official said, addressing the press.Officials at the scene also could not provide information on how many people were inside the building or the reasons for their presence.Police have announced that they will release a video of the suspect.
What happened?
Two people were killed and nine others injured in a shooting on Saturday afternoon at Brown University’s Barus & Holley building in Providence, Rhode Island, officials confirmed.According to a Brown University Health spokesperson, of the nine injured, one is in stable condition, six are critical but stable, and another has been stabilized. The ninth victim sustained fragment injuries that are not considered life-threatening.The shooting was first reported around 4.00 pm (local time), prompting the university to send an alert instructing students and faculty to lock doors, silence phones, and remain hidden due to reports of an active shooter. Many students took refuge in their dorms, while others sought shelter in the basement of a popular tea shop.The shooting took place in a classroom inside Brown University’s Barus & Holley building, which houses the engineering and physics departments. Mayor Brett Smiley said finals were ongoing in the building at the time, but officials have not confirmed what was happening in the specific classroom where the incident occurred.Officials described the shooter as a male wearing all black, who fled from the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building on the Hope Street side, as cited by NBC News.Investigators have not yet determined how the shooter gained access to the first-floor classroom. While the building’s outer doors were unlocked, rooms used for final exams required badge access, the mayor noted. A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities believe the shooter was armed with a handgun, as reported by AP.On Saturday night, the Brown University campus took on the appearance of a fortified zone as more than 400 law enforcement officers converged on the area. Some officers searched for the gunman, using flashlights to inspect parked cars.US President Donald Trump stated on social media that he had been briefed on the shooting and confirmed that the FBI was present at the scene.”Rhode Island governor Dan McKee said he had spoken with FBI Director Kash Patel and that local, state, and federal law enforcement officers were all actively searching for the gunman.“The unthinkable has happened,” McKee said. “Everyone is working under the same goal right now — to keep everybody in that area safe, and also to pursue.”Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter-in-place order remains in effect and urged residents near the campus to stay indoors or avoid returning home until it is lifted. Streets that are usually busy on weekends were unusually quiet.
