A gunman dressed in black killed at least two people and critically wounded eight others at Brown University on Saturday, sending the Ivy League campus into lockdown as students barricaded themselves during final exam period while the shooter remained at large.
The shooting erupted in the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building around 4:20 p.m., prompting university officials to issue an emergency shelter-in-place alert as armed police swarmed the Providence, Rhode Island campus. Hours later, authorities continued searching for the suspect described as a male wearing black clothing.
Panic During Finals Week
Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley confirmed the death toll during an evening news conference, while Brown University President Christina H. Paxson acknowledged the campus community’s devastating losses in a message to students and faculty.
“We lost two community members today who were fatal victims of the shooting, and at this point, we know there are at least eight additional victims who were transported to the hospital,” Paxson wrote.
The shooting occurred during the university’s final exams period on a campus of roughly 10,300 students — approximately 7,300 undergraduates and just over 3,000 graduate students.
Students across campus received a stark alert at 4:22 p.m.: “BrownUAlert: 1st, Urgent: There’s an active shooter near Barus & Holley Engineering. Lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice.” Additional messages followed, instructing those on campus to either hide or evacuate if possible.
Confusion Over Suspect’s Status
Adding to the chaos, university officials initially reported that a suspect had been apprehended but later retracted that statement.
“While DPS was at one point informed that there was an individual in custody, that person was determined not to be the shooting suspect after questioning,” the university clarified in a subsequent update as the manhunt continued through the evening.
How did parents learn their children were in danger? Through terrifying text messages.
One mother, speaking live to news outlets while the situation was still unfolding, described receiving messages from her son who was barricaded inside a campus building. The student reported hearing gunshots near the library before he and friends secured themselves in a room.
Community Response
Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, himself a Brown alumnus, urged continued vigilance as authorities worked to secure the campus.
“We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant,” Goncalves stated. “As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”
President Donald Trump also indicated he had been briefed on the situation, noting that FBI agents were on scene and offering prayers for victims and their families.
Local law enforcement received assistance from Rhode Island State Police and emergency management officials as the search for the gunman continued. The public was repeatedly warned to avoid the area surrounding the Hope Street corridor near campus.
This marks the latest in a string of campus shootings that have rocked American universities in recent years. For Brown—an elite institution known more for its liberal arts excellence than for violence—the attack transforms what should have been an ordinary exam day into a moment that will forever scar the university’s history.
