Chaos unfolded this afternoon near Brown University when gunfire erupted just as final exams were underway, leaving two people dead and eight others wounded, authorities confirmed. The victims who survived were transported to Rhode Island Hospital, roughly two miles from campus, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
Providence Fire Department Chief Derek Silva said the two fatalities were pronounced dead at the scene. “Those are the only injuries or casualties that we know at this time,” he said, cautioning that the situation remains fluid and the total number could still change.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. ET outside the Barus and Holley building, which houses Brown’s School of Engineering and its Physics Department. According to Brown University Provost Francis Doyle, students were actively taking final exams inside the building at the time.
Police are now engaged in an extensive manhunt for the shooter, who remains at large. Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara described the suspect as “a male dressed in black” during an evening press briefing. Investigators believe the suspect fled on foot, exiting through doors on the Hope Street side of the building. O’Hara said it is still unclear how the individual initially gained entry and noted that authorities have received no confirmed sightings since the escape.
As law enforcement continues the search, a shelter-in-place order remains in effect for the university and surrounding neighborhoods. Brown officials urged students and faculty to strictly comply. “This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus,” the university said in an alert.
President Trump said Friday night that he had been briefed on the situation. “What a terrible thing it is,” the president told reporters in brief remarks. “All we can do right now is pray for the victims.”
Addressing questions about campus security, Provost Doyle explained that access to the building is normally controlled by swipe cards, but noted there was “probably a lot of traffic” because exams were scheduled between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
“We’re utilizing every resource possible to find the suspect,” O’Hara said, emphasizing the scale of the ongoing operation.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that city police, Brown University authorities, and the FBI are working together on the investigation. “Sadly, today is a day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come,” Smiley told reporters.
Officials are also asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has relevant information to contact law enforcement immediately.
Earlier in the day, confusion spread over reports that a suspect had been taken into custody. Brown officials, followed by media reports and President Trump, initially stated that someone had been detained, but later corrected that information.
“While [Brown University’s department of public safety] 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 Friday night emergency update.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims or provided further details about the suspect. Brown officials said the two people killed were members of the community and that the university is working closely with local hospitals to identify the injured.
