🚨 Person of Interest Detained in Deadly Brown University Attack (Video)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence Police Department (PPD) confirmed Sunday morning that a person of interest has been detained in connection with the horrific shooting at Brown University, an incident that shocked the Ivy League campus and left a community reeling. The news comes after an intensive, overnight manhunt following the Saturday afternoon attack, which resulted in the deaths of two students and injuries to nine others.

Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez addressed the public, confirming the individual in custody is a man in his 30s. Crucially, Chief Perez stated that authorities are not currently searching for any other perpetrators in connection with the mass shooting. However, few other details were immediately released, as police declined to say whether the person was connected to the university or where the detention was made. The individual has been labeled a “person of interest,” meaning law enforcement views them as someone important to the investigation, though formal charges have not yet been announced.

The violence erupted Saturday afternoon at approximately 4 p.m. local time inside the Barus & Holley building, which houses the university’s School of Engineering. Students were taking final exams at the time of the attack. Law enforcement deployed a massive response, with more than 400 personnel, including agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), descending on the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.

The shelter-in-place order for the campus, which had been in effect for hours, was lifted early Sunday morning, allowing the community to emerge from lockdown. However, parts of the campus, including Minden Hall and the immediate area around the engineering building, remain active crime scenes with restricted access as the investigation continues.

Surveillance video released by the PPD on Saturday evening showed the alleged shooter—described as a male in dark clothing, possibly wearing a camouflage mask—calmly walking away from the scene. The weapon, reportedly a handgun, was not recovered immediately after the shooting, though some reports indicate it was found when the person of interest was taken into custody.

The victims of the tragedy were all students, confirmed by Brown University President Christina Paxson. Nine people suffered gunshot wounds, with two fatalities and one person remaining in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital as of Sunday morning. President Paxson and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley both expressed the profound grief gripping the community. “Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” Paxson stated at a press conference. Mayor Smiley echoed the sentiment, praising the swift collaboration between the PPD, state police, and federal agencies.

The detention marks a significant turning point in the investigation, offering the first real sense of relief and a potential path to justice for the students, faculty, and city devastated by the event. As the investigation moves forward, the community awaits the release of further details and a better understanding of the motives behind this senseless act of violence during a time when students should have been focused on final exams and holiday breaks.

Sources and Links

• The Guardian: “Brown University shooting: person of interest in custody after attack leaves two students dead – latest updates,”  
• People: “‘Person of Interest’ Identified in Brown University Mass Shooting, Hours After Deadly Incident,”  
• AP News: “Police have person of interest in custody over Brown University shooting that killed 2, wounded 9,”