A person of interest has been taken into custody in connection with the mass shooting that rocked Brown University’s campus in Providence, Rhode Island, officials said early Sunday morning. The arrest came hours after the fatal incident that left two students dead and nine others injured, Reuters reported.
Person’s identity not revealed
Providence Police confirmed that the individual was detained overnight based on a tip to law enforcement and is being investigated for possible involvement in the shooting. Sources said the person being held is not a Brown University student, though authorities have not yet confirmed charges or identified the individual, ABC News reported.
Police released surveillance footage showing a “person of interest” wearing dark clothing walking near the campus shortly after the attack, but officials stopped short of immediately naming that person as the suspect.
The fatal shooting occurred late Saturday afternoon inside the Barus & Holley building, home to Brown’s School of Engineering and Physics Department, during final exam week. University leadership said most of those injured were students, and several were in serious condition at local hospitals, according to The Associated Press.
The shooting was ‘devastating’
Brown University President Christina H Paxson described the day as “devastating” and extended sympathy to the victims’ families in an official statement. The university’s lockdown order, which was issued shortly after the incident, was lifted early Sunday, though police activity continues in parts of the campus still considered active crime scenes.
Authorities, including the FBI and local law enforcement, had been canvassing neighbourhoods near Brown’s College Hill campus as they investigated how the shooting unfolded and whether the person in custody played a direct role.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee reiterated that all available resources are being employed to piece together the events leading up to the shooting and to ensure campus safety. Investigators have not yet disclosed a motive for the attack.