The hunt for the Brown University shooter intensified Thursday as authorities released multiple surveillance videos showing a masked individual prowling through campus before and after the deadly attack that left two dead and nine wounded.
FBI officials are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect, described as approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build. The person of interest remains at large three days after the December 13 shooting at the university’s Barus & Holley engineering building during final exams.
A Campus in Crisis
The violence erupted around 4:22 p.m. when gunfire broke out in Room 166 on the first floor during a review session. The university immediately sent an alert instructing students and faculty to shelter in place, though there was initial confusion when officials erroneously reported a suspect in custody before correcting the message.
“I am sure that many of you have learned that, at 4:22 p.m., we alerted the campus to an active shooter incident near Barus & Holley,” a university statement read. “We immediately informed our community to shelter in place by locking doors, silencing phones and staying hidden until further notice.”
The shooter fired more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun in what investigators describe as a methodical attack. Two handguns and two loaded 30-round magazines were recovered when a previously detained person of interest was taken into custody, though that individual was later cleared and released.
The Hunt Intensifies
During a tense press conference, Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez urged the public to study the newly released footage carefully, paying particular attention to the suspect’s movements and mannerisms.
“So, as you can see, the enhanced photos, there’s enhanced video footage,” Perez said. “And so we’re asking the public to ensure that they can see them… Watch body movements, the way the person moved their arms, their body posture, the way they work, they’re carrying their weight. I think those are important movement patterns that we help you identify this individual, which is extremely important.”
At least five videos have been released showing the suspect either masked or with their face turned away from cameras. Authorities continue canvassing the area — knocking on doors, checking dumpsters and searching backyards — in hopes of finding additional evidence or clues.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told reporters that investigators have pieced together much of the gunman’s route but still face gaps in their understanding. “We have a good picture of the gunman’s route, but it’s not complete yet,” he stated.
A Community Mourning
The human toll has been devastating. Two community members were killed, while nine others sustained injuries of varying severity. Several victims remain hospitalized in critical or critical-but-stable condition, though some have been discharged.
“We lost two community members 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,” university officials noted in a statement to parents and families. “In this moment, they are in critical but stable condition, but this is an evolving situation. Our hearts are with their families.”
How did the shooter manage to escape? That’s the question haunting investigators as they pore over surveillance footage from multiple angles. The FBI has released an updated video timeline of the person of interest’s movements and established multiple channels for the public to submit tips, including a dedicated hotline and online form.
As the investigation enters its fourth day, authorities say an enhanced photograph of the gunman will soon be released to the public. For a campus community reeling from violence during what should have been the close of another academic term, answers can’t come soon enough.
