Nine others were wounded as gunfire erupted in an engineering building during final exams, authorities said.
PROVIDENCE, RI — Police detained a person of interest early Sunday in connection with a mass shooting that killed two Brown University students and wounded nine others inside the school’s Barus & Holley engineering building late Saturday afternoon, officials said. The campus lockdown was lifted overnight as investigators secured classrooms, reviewed surveillance video and interviewed witnesses across the Ivy League campus and nearby neighborhoods.
Authorities said the arrest ends a frantic, overnight search that followed a burst of gunfire during final exams. The person in custody was located off campus and taken into custody without incident, according to officials briefed on the response. Investigators said they are not seeking additional suspects at this time. Providence leaders and Brown University’s president expressed grief and pledged transparency as the investigation moves forward. The shooting, which struck a central academic complex near downtown Providence, rattled the city and brought a large, multiagency response as students sheltered in place and police swept buildings room by room.
Police said the gunfire began just after 4 p.m. Saturday, when a shooter entered the Barus & Holley complex and opened fire in a classroom area as students worked through final exams. Officers and campus police rushed to the scene within minutes, ordering a shelter-in-place for the university and surrounding blocks as tactical teams cleared hallways and labs. More than a dozen ambulances ferried the wounded to local hospitals. By nightfall, officials confirmed two students had died. On Sunday morning, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said seven of the nine injured remained in stable condition, one was in critical but stable condition, and one had been discharged. “The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning,” Smiley said, noting the detained person of interest and the lifting of the lockdown.
Col. Oscar Perez, Providence’s police chief, said details about the detained individual would remain limited while detectives conduct interviews and collect physical evidence. Investigators recovered shell casings inside the engineering building and have reviewed security footage that captured a person dressed in dark clothing moving through the facility, officials said. The person in custody, described as in their 30s, was detained at a hotel in Coventry, about 20 miles southwest of the campus, according to officials briefed on the operation. Authorities said the motive remains unknown. As of Sunday, officials had not released the names of the two students who died. Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said the campus community is “in deep mourning” and that support services were available for students and staff.
The Barus & Holley complex houses classrooms, computer labs and engineering spaces regularly busy with students during exam periods. The building sits along George Street near other academic halls, a short walk from the university’s main green. Witnesses reported hearing rapid bursts of gunfire and scrambling to hide under desks or barricade doors. One student described sprinting down a stairwell after receiving a campus alert to shelter in place. Another said they huddled in a lab while messages poured in from friends across campus attempting to account for one another. Police said more than 400 local, state and federal officers assisted, including agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as K-9 teams searched buildings and nearby streets.
Brown canceled remaining weekend academic activities and said updates about final exam schedules would follow after police finish processing the scene. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee called the shooting an “unthinkable tragedy” and said state resources were committed to support the investigation. Hospitals in Providence activated mass casualty protocols to handle the influx of patients, moving quickly to triage and stabilize the wounded. While police said they believe there is no ongoing threat to the public, parts of the engineering complex remained closed Sunday as crime scene technicians documented bullet strikes, collected ballistic evidence and mapped the shooter’s path through the building.
The person of interest was identified with help from surveillance video and tips, officials said. Detectives are now working to determine any connection the detained person may have to Brown or anyone on campus. Police did not immediately say whether a firearm used in the attack had been recovered, though investigators seized items for testing during overnight searches. Authorities also obtained warrants for digital records, including phone and location data, to reconstruct the hours leading up to the gunfire. Prosecutors from the Rhode Island attorney general’s office joined Providence police at briefings to prepare for potential charges once interviews and forensic reviews are complete.
Saturday’s violence adds to a string of U.S. campus shootings in recent years that have prompted reviews of door-locking systems, classroom shelter protocols and emergency alerts. Brown’s engineering building, like many research facilities, normally sees heavy evening and weekend use at the end of the semester. Students said the shelter-in-place order, which lasted into the night, was the first time many had experienced a full campus lockdown. In statements to the campus community and alumni early Sunday, Paxson said the university would examine what worked and what did not in its emergency response while focusing first on supporting those directly affected.
Investigators said they expect to release the names of the two students who died after notifying families and completing preliminary autopsies. Officials said formal charges could come as early as this week if the evidence supports an arrest beyond the current detention. Providence police planned additional briefings Sunday and Monday to discuss timelines, evidence collection and hospital updates. University officials said counseling centers would extend hours in the coming days and that faculty would receive guidance on accommodating affected students. City leaders said they would confer with Brown and local hospital systems about long-term support for those injured and the wider campus community.
On College Hill, students placed flowers near the engineering complex and gathered quietly on the main green as daylight broke. A graduate student who spent hours sheltering in place described a “surreal calm” after the all-clear message, followed by the shuffle of friends checking on each other. A Brown facilities worker said crews were staging materials to repair doors and windows damaged during the response. “We’ll get it fixed,” the worker said, “but people are hurting.” Outside a Providence hospital, a relative of an injured student said the family was “overwhelmed” but thankful for quick care. Police maintained a visible presence around campus Sunday as exam week schedules remained uncertain.
As of Sunday afternoon, police said the investigation was active and that further updates would come after detectives finished interviews with the detained person and key witnesses. The engineering complex is expected to remain closed while technicians complete their work. Officials said the next public briefing would include the latest on victim identifications, the condition of the wounded and any decision on formal charges.
Author note: Last updated December 14, 2025.