Providence releases second suspect video; detained man cleared as Brown shooting manhunt continues
Providence police released a second brief surveillance clip showing a black‑clad man walking away from Brown University’s Barus & Holley engineering building as a manhunt continues after a mass shooting that killed two students and wounded nine during an afternoon exam review. A 24‑year‑old man detained overnight in Coventry was released after investigators said evidence no longer supported him as a suspect, and local, state and federal agencies are canvassing neighborhoods and urging the public to submit tips and video.
📌 Key Facts
- Around 4:00 p.m. ET Saturday a masked person opened fire inside a first‑floor classroom during a Principles of Economics review session in Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building (about 60 people were present); eyewitnesses described a masked rifleman who shouted and opened fire, while investigators later reported evidence consistent with numerous 9mm rounds fired (reports say more than 40 rounds).
- Two Brown students were killed (identified as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov) and nine others were wounded; Rhode Island Hospital received nine gunshot victims and several hospitalized students were described as critical but stable while others were discharged or stable.
- Brown issued a shelter‑in‑place alert at 4:22 p.m., briefly sent an erroneous message saying a suspect was in custody (later retracted), and the campus and parts of Providence were locked down until shelter orders were lifted Sunday morning; the university later canceled remaining semester classes, exams and papers and increased public‑safety staffing and student support.
- A massive multi‑agency response and manhunt involved local police, more than 400 law‑enforcement officers, armored vehicles, helicopters and federal partners (FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals); officials conducted door‑to‑door canvassing for video and evidence and held multiple public briefings.
- Providence police released brief surveillance clips — including a second short video from a CCTV near the John A. Mitchell House — showing a person in black walking away (face not visible) and asked residents to submit doorbell/security footage and tips.
- Federal agents detained a 24‑year‑old Wisconsin man (reported as Benjamin Erickson) early Sunday at a Coventry hotel after a Providence Police lead and cellphone tracking; agents reported finding firearms in the room, but investigators later said evidence shifted, the man was released, and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said there was 'no basis' to consider him a person of interest.
- Officials urged vigilance and public assistance (sharing videos, photos and tips) while saying there was no immediate, specific threat to the campus; at the same time the attorney general warned the community that a suspected killer remains at large and acknowledged heightened anxiety.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (2)
Which Types of Mass Shooting Were Bondi Beach and Brown U.?
"An opinion piece arguing that Bondi Beach and the Brown University attacks represent different types of mass shootings and that recognizing those differences — rather than lumping all incidents together — yields clearer analyses and more effective, targeted prevention and policy responses."
Brown University shooter still at large
"A Playbook commentary on the Brown University shooting stresses alarm over the still‑unapprehended shooter, critiques preparedness and interagency response, and urges urgent but measured action to protect students and restore campus normalcy."
📰 Sources (38)
The shootings at Brown and in Sydney were a ‘gut punch’ for Providence’s Jewish community.
New information:
- Providence officials released a second brief video of the possible suspect on Monday, supplementing the first clip made public Saturday night.
- Rhode Island AG Peter F. Neronha said the 24-year-old Wisconsin man detained Sunday was 'not a person of interest at all' and was released.
- Police conducted door-to-door canvassing to collect private video footage; Mayor Brett Smiley said there were no 'credible or specific threats' and authorities did not know if the gunman remained in the city.
- Witness detail: TA Joseph Oduro said a masked man carrying a rifle entered the classroom, shouted something unintelligible, and opened fire.
Here’s the Only Known Video of the Possible Brown University Gunman
New information:
- Police released only a few seconds of footage showing the back of a man believed to be the gunman; no facial video has been made public.
- The clip comes from a CCTV camera on the John A. Mitchell House, a green Colonial-style building near campus.
- Providence police are going door to door in neighborhoods near campus to locate additional doorbell/security footage.
- Authorities issued a public call for anyone with relevant video to submit it to Providence police.
Brown shooting manhunt continues as mayor urges people to share tips
New information:
- Officials say the shooter fired more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun inside the engineering building.
- A person of interest detained Sunday at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, R.I., was released after evidence pointed in a different direction; CBS sources described him as a 24-year-old man.
- Providence Mayor Brett Smiley urged the public to submit tips, videos, and photos to help identify the gunman.
- Seven hospitalized victims are in stable condition and one is in critical condition, according to the mayor.
- Brown University canceled remaining classes and exams for the semester; a shelter-in-place order was lifted Sunday morning.
- Investigators are focusing on a short video clip showing a person walking away with their back to the camera; it remains unclear if the suspect is a student.
- Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha emphasized, “We have a murderer out there,” and police defended the shift from the initial lead as part of normal investigative work.
Brown University shooting victims identified
New information:
- Authorities identified the two students killed as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
- Cook was a sophomore from Alabama and vice president of Brown's College Republicans; her church in Birmingham confirmed her death.
- The American Uzbekistan Association and U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick issued statements mourning Umurzokov; his roommate said he studied neuroscience and was widely beloved.
- As of Monday morning, no suspect has been identified; police advised there is no immediate threat to Brown or the local community.
Brown University shooting victim identified as Ella Cook: 'An incredible light'
New information:
- One of the two students killed has been publicly identified by her church as Ella Cook, a Brown University sophomore from Alabama.
- Cook served as vice president of the Brown University College Republicans.
- Rev. Craig Smalley of Birmingham’s Cathedral Church of the Advent confirmed Cook’s death and praised her character in a recorded Sunday service.
- College Republicans of America issued a statement calling Cook “bold, brave, and kind,” offering condolences to her family and the Brown community.
Authorities release person of interest detained in Brown University shooting
New information:
- Authorities said the detained person of interest will be released after evidence shifted and no longer supports holding him, per AG Peter Neronha.
- The person of interest was taken into custody Sunday morning at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, Rhode Island (~20 miles from Providence).
- Officials now say there is no current suspect; investigators are canvassing for surveillance video and other leads.
- AG Peter Neronha warned, "We have a murderer out there," and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged the news may heighten community anxiety.
- Despite an enhanced police presence, officials are not recommending a renewed shelter-in-place order.
- Article specifies the toll as two Brown students killed and nine injured.
Person of interest in Brown University shooting released
New information:
- Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha said there is 'no basis to consider' the detained individual a person of interest, explaining the release.
- Providence Mayor Brett Smiley publicly stated the detained person would be released.
- Providence Police posted on X that there have been no specific threats to the community since the first 911 call.
- Brown University said the Department of Public Safety has more than doubled its staffing amid heightened local, state, and federal police activity.
Here’s the latest.
New information:
- FBI Director Kash Patel said federal agents located the detained individual in a town near Providence based on a Providence Police lead; he was released after insufficient evidence, per Chief Col. Oscar Perez.
- Rhode Island AG Peter F. Neronha said there is no basis to consider the released individual a person of interest and noted a lack of cameras in the Brown building, limiting available footage.
- Police released surveillance video of the suspected gunman to solicit public tips.
- Updated casualty figures: nine additional students were injured, seven hospitalized, and one remained in critical condition as of Sunday.
- Brown University canceled remaining semester exams and advised students they may go home; officials issued a vigilance advisory to the campus.
- Eyewitness detail: TA Joseph Oduro said a masked man with a rifle entered an economics review session, shouted something unintelligible, and opened fire.
- Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said authorities do not know if the attacker remains in the city.
Person of interest in Brown University mass shooting is being released, officials say
New information:
- Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said on X that the detained person of interest is being released.
- Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez said evidence now points in a different direction.
- Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated there is 'no basis' to consider the detained man a person of interest.
- Brown University said police advised they do not believe there is any immediate threat to Brown or the local community.
Authorities release person of interest in Brown University shooting
New information:
- Officials said Sunday night the person of interest detained overnight in connection with the Brown University shooting was released.
- The update indicates a shift in the investigative status of the person of interest.
Person of interest identified in Brown University shooting
New information:
- Authorities identified the person of interest as Benjamin Erickson.
- Erickson is 24 years old and originally from Wisconsin.
What to know about the Brown University shooting
New information:
- Officials said seven victims are in 'critical but stable' condition, one is in critical condition, and a ninth was treated and discharged.
- Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said investigators are not actively looking for anyone else at this time.
- FBI Director Kash Patel said the person of interest was detained in a Coventry, R.I., hotel based on a Providence Police lead.
- Brown University canceled almost all remaining in-person fall-semester exams to focus on community support; shelter-in-place orders were lifted Sunday morning.
- Shooting details: occurred around 4 p.m. ET inside the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building during an economics class; building uses card-swipe access and saw heavy exam traffic.
Gunshots at Brown University, Then 12 Hours of Lockdown and Fear
New information:
- Attack occurred during an economics study session in Brown’s Barus & Holley building with about 60 students present.
- Shooter was masked, carried a rifle, shouted unintelligibly, and opened fire.
- Brown issued its first campus alert at 4:22 p.m., ordering a shelter-in-place.
- Two were killed and nine wounded; a suspect in his 20s was detained about 12 hours later at a Coventry, R.I., hotel by U.S. Marshals and local officers.
- Eyewitness TA Joseph Oduro (21) described taking cover and students in the middle rows being hit.
WATCH: Trump addresses deadly attacks in Syria, Australia and Rhode Island at Christmas reception
New information:
- Trump publicly offered condolences for the two people killed and wished recovery to the nine injured at Brown University.
- Confirms the federal and campus context by noting a person of interest was in custody as of Sunday.
Students barricaded themselves in the Sciences Library, then were evacuated at gunpoint.
New information:
- Authorities released a previously detained person of interest due to insufficient evidence, per Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez.
- Rhode Island AG Peter F. Neronha said there is "no basis" to consider the released individual a person of interest.
- FBI Director Kash Patel said federal investigators located the person near Providence based on a city police lead before the release.
- Officials noted limited video evidence inside the Brown building: "There just weren’t a lot of cameras," AG Neronha said.
- Mayor Brett Smiley said officials cannot confirm whether the attacker remains in Providence.
- Brown University issued a late-night message acknowledging the release and urging vigilance while deferring investigative details to Providence Police.
Students barricaded themselves in the Sciences Library, then were evacuated at gunpoint.
New information:
- Federal agents detained a person of interest around 4 a.m. at a hotel in Coventry, R.I., about 20 miles from campus, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
- Investigators tracked a cellphone associated with the suspect to the hotel; agents found two firearms in the room, including one with a laser targeting attachment (per a person familiar with the probe).
- Providence police provided the lead that guided federal investigators to the hotel, Patel said on social media.
- Victim status update: seven of the nine hospitalized students were stable and one remained in critical condition as of Sunday morning.
- Eyewitness detail: a masked man with a rifle burst into a Principles of Economics review session and opened fire, according to TA Joseph Oduro.
- Survivor account: first-year student Spencer Yang describes rendering aid to a wounded classmate during the attack.
- Campus safety detail: students barricaded in buildings, including the Sciences Library, and some were evacuated at gunpoint during the overnight manhunt.
Trump addresses trio of attacks in Syria, Brown University, and Australia at White House Christmas event
New information:
- President Trump publicly offered condolences to Brown University, noting two people were killed and nine injured.
- He acknowledged the victims during a White House Christmas reception and said the administration’s thoughts and support are with them.
Brown Canceled Classes and Exams for the Rest of the Semester
New information:
- Provost Francis J. Doyle III’s memo specifies cancellation of all remaining classes, exams, papers and projects, and says students may leave for winter break immediately.
- Updated medical status: as of Sunday morning, 8 of 9 injured students remained hospitalized (one critical but stable); one injured student was released.
- Incident details: the attack began around 4 p.m. during a Principles of Economics review session in the Barus & Holley building.
- Eyewitness accounts: TA Joseph Oduro and first-year student Spencer Yang describe the shooter and immediate response efforts.
- Shelter-in-place across campus was lifted shortly before 6 a.m.; police released video of a black-clad suspect leaving the building (face not visible).
Patriots 'heartbroken' as deadly shooting occurs at Brown University
New information:
- Brown University canceled all classes, exams and papers for the rest of the fall semester; students may leave campus and support services will be available (per Provost Francis Doyle).
- Providence police said the detained person of interest is in their 30s and was apprehended at a hotel in Coventry.
- Updated toll cited as at least two dead and nine wounded.
- The New England Patriots issued a statement saying they are 'heartbroken' and expressing sympathy; the Buffalo Bills were staying near the campus and are safe.
Person of interest in custody following deadly shooting at Brown University
New information:
- Police took a person of interest into custody at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island (~17 miles south of Providence).
- Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr. said the investigation is in early stages and the department is coordinating with prosecutors, collecting evidence, and conducting interviews; he declined to say if the person is affiliated with Brown.
- Updated patient conditions: seven in stable condition, one in critical but stable condition, and one discharged.
- Providence citywide and Brown University campus shelter-in-place orders have been lifted.
- Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley made on‑camera statements acknowledging the victims and updates.
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