The Brown University community is reeling after a devastating shooting left two students dead and nine injured. In a significant development over the weekend, authorities announced they have released a man previously held as a “person of interest” in connection with the tragedy. Officials stated the investigation is now heading in a “different direction,” though they did not elaborate on why the man was initially detained.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha expressed confidence that the case will be solved soon, confirming that investigators no longer believe the released individual is connected to the crime. Instead, police are now focusing on an unidentified person captured in surveillance footage near the engineering building where the shooting occurred.
The campus, one of the oldest in the U.S., remains shaken. Exams and classes for the rest of the year have been canceled, leaving a quiet, somber atmosphere blanketed by light snowfall. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley urged the community to come together, even amidst the grief, and confirmed that most injured students are in stable condition.
Students recount terrifying moments. One graduate student heard “loud popping sounds” and fled, finding refuge with a stranger who offered safety. Another student, a teaching assistant, narrowly escaped injury when gunshots hit the chalkboard where he stood, remarking, “Who knows, if I didn’t duck, maybe I’m not here today.” The unsettling reality of active-shooter drills has left some students feeling “desensitized” to lockdowns, highlighting a broader societal issue.
As the search for the true perpetrator intensifies, the Brown University community grapples with loss and uncertainty, hoping for swift justice and a return to safety.
