Two people were killed and nine others injured Saturday afternoon in a shooting at Brown University in Providence, R.I., authorities said. The suspect remains at large and is described by police as “a male dressed in black,” Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said at an evening news conference.
The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. ET outside the Barus and Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and the Physics Department. Brown University Provost Francis Doyle said final exams were taking place in the building between about 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. when the shooting happened.
The two people who died were pronounced at the scene, Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva said. Eight wounded victims were being treated in critical but stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, about two miles from campus. A ninth person sustained a non-life-threatening injury from a fragment and left the scene; it was unclear whether that person was hospitalized, Mayor Brett Smiley said.
Police said the suspect fled on foot, exiting doors on the Hope Street side of the building. Officials released a short video showing the suspected shooter leaving the building, though the mayor said the footage does not reveal his face. Police reported no confirmed sightings of the suspect since he fled.
A shelter-in-place order remained active for the university and surrounding areas, with the university urging students and faculty to keep doors locked and avoid movement across campus. City and university police, along with the FBI, are coordinating the active investigation and asking witnesses to come forward.
There was earlier confusion about whether a suspect was in custody. Brown officials and some media reports — followed briefly by President Trump — initially said a suspect had been detained. The university later said the person who had been questioned was determined not to be the shooter.
President Trump said he had been briefed and, in brief remarks, called the shooting “a terrible thing” and urged prayer for the victims. Provost Doyle noted that building access requires card swipes but acknowledged there was likely heavier traffic during exams.
Authorities have not released the identities of the victims or provided additional details about a possible suspect. Mayor Smiley said, “Sadly, today is a day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come.” Police said they are “utilizing every resource possible to find the suspect.”
