2 People Killed, 8 Others Critically Injured

Two people were killed, and eight others were injured, in a shooting at Brown University.

Authorities shared the update during a news conference on Saturday evening, Dec. 13. They said the eight people who were injured have been hospitalized in “critical but stable condition.” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said there was no suspect in custody, as of 6:45 p.m. local time.

Providence Police provided a description of the suspect, saying he was “a male dressed in black.”

“It is unknown how he entered the building, but we do know that he exited the Hope Street side of that complex,” Commander Timothy O’Hara said, later adding, “We’re utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect.”

Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee also spoke during the news conference, saying, “The unthinkable has happened.”

The Providence, R.I., college first announced that there was an active shooter near Barus & Holley, a computer lab and engineering building on campus, shortly after 4 p.m. local time on Saturday, Dec. 13. “Lock doors, silence phones and [stay] hidden until further notice,” the university instructed in an alert on its website.

Shortly after, officials falsely stated that a suspect was in custody, but said in a follow-up alert minutes later that no suspects were in custody, according to ABC News and The Brown Daily Herald.

At the time, the university and Providence Police confirmed that multiple people had been shot.

“Continue to shelter in place. Remain away from Barus & Holley area,” the university on in an X post at 5:15 p.m. “Police do not have a suspect in custody and continue to search for suspect(s). Brown coordinating with multiple law enforcement agencies on site.”

In another update shared at 5:27 p.m., the university stated that there was a “report of shots fired near Governor Street.”

“Continue to shelter in place,” the Ivy League school advised. “Stay clear. Law enforcement responding.”

In an update shared at 5:52 p.m., the school said that the “situation remains ongoing.”

Gov. McKee posted a statement on X at 5:31 p.m., writing, “We are actively monitoring the shooting at @BrownUniversity. Our teams at @RIStatePolice and @RhodeIslandEMA are working closely with local law enforcement. Please stay clear of the area and monitor official channels for updates.”

“Praying for our community,” he added.

At 6:05 p.m., the university shared a lengthy update, writing: “We are very sorry to share that we have confirmed reports of multiple shooting victims, but we are not able to share their condition. They have been transported to local hospitals.”

“Our first priority is the safety of our community and coordinating closely with local law enforcement and medical personnel to ensure their safety,” the university continued. “We are working immediately to determine who was in the building at the time of the shooting.”

Brown said “multiple exams” were scheduled in the building from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and shared that support services were on site for the school community.

The university also stated that an earlier report of “a secondary shooting incident near Governor Street is unfounded.”

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Footage from the scene showed police officers were appearing to help “several individuals lying on the ground near the Sciences Library,” according to campus newspaper The Brown Daily Herald.

A Brown student, Katie Sun, told The Herald that she heard gunshots while studying at the Engineering Research Center at 4:10 p.m., and subsequently fled the lobby. “It was honestly quite terrifying,” she told the newspaper.