Manhunt Underway After Deadly Mass Shooting at Brown University Leaves 2 Dead, 9 Injured
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A sweeping manhunt is underway across the city of Providence and in surrounding parts of the region following a deadly mass shooting at Brown University that has seen at least two people dead and nine more wounded, sending shockwaves through the Ivy League campus as well as Rhode Island itself.
Chaos on College Hill
The violence unfolded just past 10:00 AM local time near the crowded intersection of Thayer and Waterman streets, a busy area with much student activity. The gunman used what a witness described to police as a semi-automatic weapon, and fired on those outside a university academic building, according to early reports from the Providence Police Department.
“It was like, at first we thought it was fireworks but as people emerged screaming and running into the coffee shops,” said Sarah Jenkins, a junior at Brown who had been studying nearby. We locked those doors and hid in the back storage room. I swear I heard sirens right behind us.
Students and faculty at Brown University — where the system of emergency alerts is typically tested for severe weather and whose campus has long been a haven for activism and protest — received an utterance that could have come from any other school in America in 2019, issued at 10:12 A.M.:
“ACTIVE SHOOTER ON CAMPUS. SHELTER IN PLACE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
Casualties and Emergency Response
At a midday news briefing, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said two victims had been declared dead at the scene. Their names are being withheld pending notification of their families. Nine others were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, three in critical condition.
“This is a dark day in the history of Providence,” Chief Perez said through sobs. “Our officers were on scene within two minutes of the first 911 call, but the suspect had already left the immediate area,” it added.
Police from across the region, including the Rhode Island State Police and the F.B.I., have swarmed into the College Hill neighborhood. Tactical squads were photographed conducting building-by-building sweeps of dormitories and academic halls, evacuating students with their hands up.
Suspect at Large
Officials have announced a massive search for the gunman, who remains at large. The suspect is a male in dark clothing with a hooded sweatshirt and was last seen walking east toward the Seekonk River, police say. The Fox Point and East Side neighborhoods are under a shelter-in-place order, and residents have been told to lock their doors.
“We are asking the public: Do not approach anyone who fits this description,” said Gov. Dan McKee, also arriving at the command center soon after word went out. “This person is armed and dangerous to an extreme level.”
A Community in Shock
The shooting has shocked the university community as students get ready to wrap up the semester. Classes are indefinitely cancelled and the campus is in a complete lockdown.
The university president, Christina Paxson, issued a brief statement saying the event was an “unspeakable tragedy” and promising full cooperation with law enforcement. “Our hearts are broken,” the statement said. “Our priority is the safety of our community and helping those that have been affected by this senseless violence.”
Students from surrounding schools including Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are already planning vigils, as the city has been forced to come to terms with the sudden burst of violence in what is traditionally a low-key, academic town.
Ongoing Investigation
The manhunt goes on after dusk, helicopters buzzing overhead as K-9 units search the streets. The police are examining footage from campus cameras and those of local businesses to follow the suspect’s movements.
Law enforcement has established a tips line and authorities want to hear from anyone with video of the incident or other information as soon as possible. Providence is for the moment a somber silent observatory, pierced only by siren whines.
This is a developing story. Juba Global News Network will follow up on the story and bring you more information as it comes in.
