Two Dead, Nine Injured in Shooting at Brown University’s Engineering Building
A mass shooting erupted inside a Brown University academic building Thursday afternoon, leaving two people dead and nine others wounded as final exams were underway on the Providence campus.
The violence unfolded in Room 166 of the Barus & Holley Building, which houses the university’s engineering and physics departments. Campus officials issued the first emergency alert at 4:22 p.m. EST, instructing students and faculty to shelter in place as police descended on the scene.
Victims Rushed to Hospital
Providence officials have confirmed that all nine injured victims suffered gun-related wounds and were transported to Rhode Island Hospital. Several patients remain in critical or critical-but-stable condition as medical teams work to save their lives.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released, though Brown University President Christina Paxson described them as “community members” in an emotional statement to families.
“This is a deeply tragic day for Brown, our families and our local community,” Paxson wrote. “There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building on our campus.”
Suspect Still at Large
Law enforcement sources have identified a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin as a person of interest in the shooting. Investigators later discovered weapons—including a revolver and a small Glock handgun equipped with a laser sight—in the suspect’s hotel room.
Confusion arose when initial reports suggested a suspect had been apprehended. Paxson later clarified: “While DPS was at one point informed that there was an individual in custody, that person was determined not to be a shooting suspect after questioning. Therefore, we urge all members of our community to remain vigilant.”
How did the shooter gain access? That remains part of the ongoing investigation. The Barus & Holley Building was reportedly unlocked during the attack, which occurred during the university’s final exam period when many students would have been present.
Campus Response
The university’s emergency notification system activated at 4:22 p.m., instructing everyone on campus to shelter in place “by locking doors, silencing phones and staying hidden until further notice,” according to Paxson’s statement.
Students described harrowing scenes of barricading classroom doors and hiding under desks as police swept through buildings. The shelter-in-place order remained in effect for several hours as authorities conducted a methodical search of the campus.
This marks the latest in a series of shootings at American educational institutions, reigniting debates about campus security measures and gun control legislation that have followed similar tragedies across the country.
As night fell over the Ivy League campus, police maintained an expanded perimeter around Barus & Holley while urging anyone who had been in the building to speak with investigators before leaving the area.
