Two people dead and eight wounded in mass shooting at Brown University, officials say | Rhode Island
At least two people were killed and eight more were seriously injured in a shooting at the Brown University site in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday, the city’s mayor said at a news conference after the school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter on the second day of final exams.
Providence mayor Brett Smiley told reporters around 6:30 p.m. local time that the 10 victims were known individuals at the time, but that the “shooter or shooters” were still at large and the number of victims could change.
Brown University police Chief Rodney Chatman called the shooting investigation “a very fluid situation.”
Providence Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said the suspect was “a male dressed in black.”
In a message to students and staff just after 6.30pm local time, the university said: “There are eight additional victims in hospital who are in critical but stable condition. There is a shelter in place. The shooter or shooters are still not in custody at this time. Law enforcement is active in the area.”
“The situation continues and all members of the community must continue to shelter in place,” the school said. on its website.
Moments earlier, the school said “an earlier report of a secondary shooting incident near Governor Street was unfounded.”
Authorities initially said a suspect was in custody, but later said that was not actually the case and police were still searching for a suspect or suspects.
After the police intervened at the scene, students were asked to take shelter where they were and people were told to stay away from the area. Officials cautioned that the information is preliminary as investigators work to determine what happened.
Kristy DosReis, public information officer for the city of Providence, said police are actively investigating the scene and are still gathering information.
Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he was “fully informed” about the situation.
“This is such a terrible thing. And right now it seems like all we can do is pray for the victims and those who were so seriously injured,” he said. “We will inform you later about what happened. It’s a shame. It’s a shame. Just pray.”
U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi said in x FBI and ATF agents were “at the scene of the tragic shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island. Please pray for everyone involved.”
The incident was reported near the seven-story Barus and Holley building, which houses the engineering and physics faculty, according to the school’s website. It consists of 117 laboratories, 150 offices, 15 classrooms and 29 laboratories.
The university’s alert system first alerted students and staff at 16.22 local time, saying “Emergency: There is an active attacker.” “Lock doors, silence phones, and remain hidden until further notice. Remember: If you are in the affected area, RUN, evacuate safely if possible; If evacuation is not possible, HIDE, take cover; FIGHT, take action to protect yourself as a last resort. Stay tuned for more safety information.”
The Ivy League school is a private, nonprofit institution with approximately 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students, according to its website.
Saturday was the second day of the fall semester final exams.
