The search for the suspected gunman who opened fire at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday afternoon (US time) is still on. As per reports pouring in from America, the shooting took place eion the eastern edge of the private Ivy League’s campus amid final exam season.
At the time of writing, at least two people were killed, with nine others reported critically wounded, as per officials cited by CNN and New York Times.
Alerts of an active shooter were initiated by the top school at 4:22 pm, as Brown officials told students and staff to lock their doors, silence their phones and stay hidden. The gunman was said to have been at the Barus and Holley engineering building at the time.
What do we know about the Brown University shooter?
Authorities announced that they were still looking for the person responsible for the tragic unfolding. While at a US news conference Providence Deputy Chief of Police Tim O’Hara revealed the very first details about the shooter, who is yet to be named and identified.
Although police does not have an image of the suspect at this time, O’Hara said at the conference that the suspected shooter is a male dressed in black. As reported on NYT, authorities said the gunman left the building on the Hope Street side. They have yet to determine what kind of weapon was used for the mass shooting, as nothing was recovered from the scene. The gunman is said to have left the scene on foot and not in a vehicle.
Chaos breaks out amid 2 incorrect alerts about the Brown University shooting
With the shooting having happened at an engineering and physics building where multiple exams were meant to be held, University officials ended up sending at least 2 incorrect alerts, as per NYT. The messages sent to students and faculty members said at one point that a suspect had been arrested. However, the alert was ultimately retracted.
In a second such alert sent around 5:30 pm, officials told the varsity community that more shots had been fired off campus close to Governor Street. This too was taken back, with the announcement that a second report was, in fact, incorrect.
Brown shooting today – One in custody
According to a message from Brown University President Christina Paxson, an individual was kept in custody as authorities figured out if they were the shooting suspect amid questioning, CNN reported.
This particularly grabbed attention as the university had incorrectly informed others that a suspect was in custody, a statement it eventually retracted.
“We continue to be in lockdown, and it is imperative that all members of our community remain sheltered in place,” Paxson added. “This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus.”
President Trump speaks out
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that victims had been “very badly hurt.”
He added, “I’ve been fully briefed on the Brown University situation, what a terrible thing it is, and all we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt it looks like… We’ll inform you later as to what’s happening, but it’s a shame.”
Much like the university sent out incorrect alerts about a person being arrested, Trump initially issued a similar message on his social media.
“I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island. The FBI is on the scene. The suspect is in custody. God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he wrote on Truth Social.
He then shared a follow-up message, saying, “The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement — The suspect is NOT in custody.”