Person Of Interest To Be Released After Brown Mass Shooting That Left 2 Dead, 9 Injured

PROVIDENCE — Authorities intend to release a man they detained Sunday as a person of interest in Saturday's mass shooting at Brown University, an attack that left two students dead and nine other people injured.

“We know that this is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community," Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said during a news conference late Sunday night, which was livestreamed on Facebook, adding that there have been no credible or specific threats in the interim.

“We believe that you remain safe in our community, though we will continue to have an enhanced police presence throughout the city and on the Brown campus."

When asked if the shooter was still in the area, Smiley responded that "honestly, we have no way of knowing." Sunday night's news conference came more than 12 hours after authorities revealed they had detained a person in connection with the attack.

Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said law enforcement did not have enough evidence to prosecute the person they detained. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post earlier Sunday that the person of interest was detained in a Coventry hotel room based on a lead by the Providence police.

“Sometimes you head in one direction, and then you have to regroup and go in another, and that’s exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so,” Attorney General Peter Neronha said. “We have not yet solved this case, but I’m confident we’re going to do that, and I’m confident we’re going to do that in the very near future.”

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. Saturday, officials said. The attack occurred inside a final exam review session for an economics class, Brown President Christina Paxson confirmed at a news conference earlier Sunday.

Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom. Outer doors of the building were unlocked, but rooms being used for final exams required badge access, Smiley said.

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

Anyone with potentially relevant videos or photos was asked to upload them to fbi.gov/brownuniversityshooting or call 401-272-3121, according to Smiley.

One of the victims was identified as Ella Cook by her home church, Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, during Sunday morning service.

In a livestream of the service, The Very Rev. R. Craig Smalley described Cook as "an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light." Cook began her education at Brown last year, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Smiley said that of the nine injured, seven were in stable condition as of Sunday morning, one was in critical but stable condition and one had been discharged from the hospital.

“The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me is, frankly, pretty overwhelming,” he said at a noon news conference after meeting with some of the injured. “They showed courage and hope and gratitude for how this community has stood up for them and how the health care providers cared for them.”

Durham Academy, a private K-12 school in Durham, North Carolina, confirmed that a recent graduate, Kendall Turner, was critically wounded. The school said her parents were with her.

“Our school community is rallying around Kendall, her classmates, and her loved ones, and we will continue to offer our full support in the days ahead,” the school said.

Providence community members were invited to gather at 5 p.m. Sunday at Lippitt Memorial Park, which was previously scheduled to host a Christmas tree and menorah lighting at that time. Those seeking resources as they process the tragedy were referred by Smiley to providenceri.gov/communityresponseresources.

All remaining Brown classes, exams, and papers or projects were canceled, Provost Francis Doyle III told the campus community in an update Sunday morning.

A shelter-in-place order was active overnight for the campus but was lifted as of 6 a.m. Sunday. A few streets remained closed early Sunday morning near campus, according to Smiley, who said Providence residents should expect to see an increased police presence Sunday in an effort to help the community feel safer.

Access to some areas of the Brown campus was limited Sunday morning due to the ongoing investigation, Paxson said in an update to the school community early Sunday.

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.