Person of interest detained in Brown University shooting that left two dead | Rhode Island

A person of interest in the Saturday evening shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, that left two people dead and nine others injured was taken into custody, police said.

Col. Oscar Perez, chief of the Providence police force, confirmed at a news conference early Sunday that the person of interest was in his 30s. Perez did not provide many details about the person, including where he was arrested or whether he was connected to Brown.

Law enforcement officials often use the term “person of interest” to refer to someone they consider important to a criminal investigation but for whom there is insufficient evidence to consider a suspect and charge them with committing the underlying crime.

The shooting at the Ivy League institution on Saturday occurred during final exams on campus. The attack took place in the engineering building and the shooter initially managed to escape.

Hundreds of police officers scoured surrounding neighborhoods as well as Brown, reviewing security cameras for the gunman who opened fire in a classroom.

Providence leaders warned residents Sunday that there would be a temporary heavier police presence in the community. And many local businesses have announced they are closed for now, citing shock and heartbreak over news of the deadly shooting.

“Everyone is stunned and there is so much recovery ahead of us,” Brown president Christina Paxson said at the news conference.

Saturday’s violence in Brown brought the number of mass shootings in the United States this year to at least 389. Gun Violence Archive. The neutral source defines mass shootings as incidents in which four or more victims are injured or killed.

More details coming soon…