2 Killed, 9 Injured In Brown Shooting; Gunman Still At Large: Officials

Updated, 10:30 p.m. Saturday

PROVIDENCE, RI — Two people are dead and nine people have been injured in a mass shooting Saturday afternoon at Brown University. Police are still searching for the shooter as of 9:45 p.m., and students on Brown's campus have been instructed to continue to shelter in place.

The shooting occurred in the Barus & Holley, a seven-story structure that houses the School of Engineering and Physics Department, and was first reported at about 4:05 p.m., officials said. A final exam was taking place inside the building at the time.

Shelter in Place remains in effect at this time for the Brown University area of Providence. Please shelter in place or avoid the area until further notice.
— Providence EMA (@ProvidenceEMA) December" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/Providence... 14, 2025

As of 10:30 p.m. the Brown campus remained on lockdown. Authorities urged students to shelter in place, keep their doors locked and not to walk through campus.

"The law enforcement response remains ongoing," according to the latest update from Brown. "Safety is the utmost and essential priority."

The shooter was described as a male dressed in all black, officials said during an evening press conference. He was spotted leaving the Hope Street side of building following the shooting, officials said.

Officials are working to identify the shooting victims, and Brown University officials are planning to have a family reunification center set up by 7 p.m.

"We know there is a lot of fear and concern and uncertainty in the community right now. Law enforcement is actively working to identify the deceased victims, and the hospital personnel also are working to identify those transported to the hospital," according to a statement from Brown University.

Officials were not releasing information on where exactly the shooting occurred and if it happened inside any classrooms where final exams were taking place.

Rodney Chapman, police chief at Brown University, described the situation as "very fluid."

The shooter was first reported around 4:20 p.m. in an alert posted on Brown's website.

"Lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice," the alert stated. "Remember: RUN, if you are in the affected location, evacuate safely if you can; HIDE, if evacuation is not possible, take cover; FIGHT, as a last resort, take action to protect yourself."

In an update posted at 4:55 p.m., the university initially said one person was in custody. About 15 minutes later, officials walked back the information, stating police were still searching for a suspect.

Around 5:30 p.m., officials said additional gunshots were reported on Governor Street, located about two blocks away from Barus & Holley.

Video footage obtained by The Brown Daily Herald showed multiple police officers on campus, as well as emergency vehicles on the surrounding roads.

Additional footage depicted several people lying on the ground near the Sciences Library, appearing to be assisted by police, The Herald reported.

Authorities have urged residents to stay away from Barus & Holley and those nearby should continue sheltering in place. As of 7 p.m., Brown officials are instructing the community to shelter in place, lock their doors, stay safe and silence their phones.

Rhode Island State Police and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency are working closely with local law enforcement in Providence as state officials "actively monitor" the shooting at Brown, wrote Governor Dan McKee in an update on X.

"Praying for our community," he said.

Donald Trump offered his condolences on Truth Social, adding that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was on the scene.

The Ivy League school is a private, nonprofit institution with about 7,300 undergraduates and just over 3,000 graduate students, according to its website.

Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.