Prestigious Ivy League Brown University came under attack by a lone gunman. Rhode Island Police advised that at least two people were shot dead.
In an event that has shocked the community, we urge students and staff to prioritize their safety and follow official instructions. Please know that support is available, and the university is taking steps to ensure the security and well-being of everyone involved.
At or about 4:20 p.m., Brown University sent out an emergency alert to students, advising them of a critical incident.
The alert instructed students to shelter in place due to an active shooter near the Barus & Holley Engineering school building.
Students were warned to remain indoors and avoid the area until further notice. According to Rhode Island authorities, at least two people have been shot dead, and reports indicate that anywhere from eight to twenty others were injured.
The Providence Police Department released a statement urging everyone to stay away from the area as they conduct an active investigation. They emphasized the importance of following shelter-in-place orders and waiting for further instructions from university officials.
Initially, Providence Police informed the media that they captured the suspect and that the shooter was in custody. Providence Police PIO Smiley later corrected the statement.
They further clarified that they detained a male subject who turned out to be the wrong person.
They later released the person.
Providence Police Deputy Police Chief Tim O’Hara told the media in a press briefing that they knew that “the shooter was male, and that he was dressed all in black.”
Providence Police Deputy Police Chief Tim O’Hara told the media in a press briefing that they knew that “the shooter was male, and that he was dressed all in black.”
Officials are asking anyone with information or security camera footage to contact 9-1-1. They caution against confronting the individual because he’s considered armed and dangerous.
Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
