A tragic mass shooting rocked the prestigious Ivy League campus of Brown University on Saturday afternoon, leaving two students dead and nine others injured. The incident occurred amid final exams, turning a routine academic day into one of horror and chaos.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The shooting took place around 4:05 p.m. ET inside the Barus & Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and Physics Department. According to university officials and Providence police, the attack happened during a review session for a Principles of Economics final exam in a first-floor classroom. Multiple exams were scheduled in the building that day, with exterior doors reportedly unlocked to accommodate students.
Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed late Saturday that all victims—two killed and at least nine injured—were students. Of the injured, several were in critical but stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, while one suffered non-life-threatening injuries from fragments.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley described the event as “a deeply tragic day,” noting that the shooter entered the building and opened fire before fleeing on foot via the Hope Street exit. Police described the suspect as a male in his 30s, dressed in all black or dark clothing, possibly wearing a mask or hat. Surveillance video released by Providence police shows a person of interest walking away from the scene, though the face is not clearly visible.
A massive manhunt involving over 400 law enforcement officers—including local police, Rhode Island State Police, FBI, and ATF—continued into the night and early Sunday. The campus and surrounding neighborhoods remained under a shelter-in-place order for hours, with students hiding in darkened rooms, libraries, and gyms. Many relied on informal student chats for updates after initial confusing alerts, including a retracted message claiming a suspect was in custody.
Eyewitness accounts painted a picture of panic: students barricading doors, turning off lights, and whispering in fear. One student in a nearby lab described hearing sirens and rushing to shelter. The university canceled all final exams scheduled for Sunday and announced counseling services for the community.
President Donald Trump stated he was briefed on the incident, and Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee called it “unthinkable.” This marks the first school shooting in Rhode Island since at least 2008, amid a year with over 150 gunfire incidents on U.S. school campuses.
Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The motive remains unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Brown community mourns the loss, with tributes pouring in for the victims. This incident underscores the ongoing crisis of gun violence in American educational institutions.
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