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Live updates: Search continues for gunman in deadly Brown University mass shooting
Two students were killed and nine more wounded Saturday afternoon during a shooting that sent shockwaves through the Ivy League campus.
The hunt for the gunman in the deadly Brown University mass shooting entered its sixth day Thursday as authorities released enhanced videos showing a person of interest.
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Two students were killed and nine more wounded Saturday afternoon during the shooting that sent shockwaves through the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island.
The gunman fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun in a classroom inside the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building, where final exams were underway, according to the Associated Press. Police later released surveillance footage of a person of interest, a black-clad figure seen calmly walking away from the scene.
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The Providence Police Department announced a person of interest had been detained early Sunday morning, though officials later reversed course announced that person had been released as the investigation pointed elsewhere.
Law enforcement reportedly converge on storage facility in New Hampshire (Thursday, Dec. 18, 8:45 p.m.)
Authorities have reportedly responded to a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire as part of the search for the person of interest connected to the deadly mass shooting at Brown University.
As of around 8 p.m., police surrounded the area around the Extra Space Storage facility on Hampshire Street, The Boston Globe reported. Dozens of police officers, including those wearing Providence police vests, gathered near the facility around 7:30 p.m.
Helicopters are circling over the town, which is on the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Salem police did not return a request for comment.
Police reportedly interview individual seen ‘in proximity’ to person of interest (Thursday, Dec. 18, 6:18 p.m.)
A person who Providence police captured on camera “in proximity” of the gunman in the Brown University shooting has been located and interviewed by law enforcement, WPRI reported.
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The man, who officials said was not involved in the attack but was seen near the person of interest, told police Thursday that he confronted the unidentified suspect outside the university before the shooting, according to WPRI, which cited anonymous sources. He reportedly told law enforcement that he approached the suspected gunman and “questioned what he was doing there,” prompting the suspect to run away.
After police released photos Wednesday of the person seen near the suspect, he came forward and contacted police, WPRI reported. At this time, his name is not being disclosed.
Providence police would not confirm whether or not they interviewed the individual in a direct inquiry Thursday evening.
Authorities reportedly identify a person of interest, search for car thought to be connected to both Brown and Brookline shootings (Thursday, Dec. 18, 4:50 p.m.)
Authorities have reportedly identified a person of interest connected to the Brown University shooting, which may be linked to the murder of an MIT professor in Brookline a few days later.
The person of interest was identified Thursday, The New York Times reported. The Providence police’s conference originally scheduled for 4 p.m. has been delayed, and a spokesperson said the timing is “still fluid.”
Citing anonymous sources, the Times said the investigators are searching for the identified person and a car that they believe was rented. The vehicle is reportedly the same make and model as the car identified in connection with the shooting of 47-year-old MIT Professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro.
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Police are reportedly searching for the car in the Boston area, the Times reported, but the alert sent to the area did not mention the shooting at Brown.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Ted Docks, the special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Field Office, had initially said there appeared to be “no connection” between the Brown and Brookline shootings.
Boston police told Boston.com they have “no involvement” and have not been informed about a search for a person or a car, as of 5 p.m. Thursday. Brookline police did not immediately return a request for comment.
Remaining hospitalized shooting victims are in stable condition, Rhode Island Hospital says (Thursday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m.)
Three of the nine students wounded in Saturday’s Brown University mass shooting have now been discharged, and the remaining six were in stable condition as of Thursday afternoon, according to Rhode Island Hospital.
The latest status update marks an improvement over Wednesday, when one person who suffered gunshot wounds was listed in critical but stable condition.
Reports: Investigators exploring whether MIT professor’s slaying could be linked to Brown University shooting (Thursday, Dec. 18, 3:30 p.m.)
Authorities are looking into a possible connection between the Brown University mass shooting on Saturday and the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, who was gunned down in his Brookline home Monday, according to multiple news outlets.
The Boston Globe, ABC News, and NBC News all reported the potential lead, citing unnamed sources. Boston.com has contacted the Providence Police Department for comment. Brookline police referred questions to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, which declined to comment Thursday.
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“We cannot comment on that report,” a spokesperson said via email. “The investigation into the Brookline homicide is active and ongoing.”
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Ted Docks, the special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Field Office, had said there appeared to be “no connection” between the Brown and Brookline shootings.
According to ABC News, the information about a possible connection between the two shootings developed within the past 24 hours as detectives on both cases compared notes. The news outlet also reported investigators believe they are close to identifying a suspect.
For five days, investigators have pored over surveillance footage and appealed to the public for assistance as they hunt for the gunman who opened fire inside a Brown academic building, killing two and wounding nine.
Manhunt for gunman in Brown shooting crosses state lines into Mass. (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 9:10 p.m.)
As the ongoing manhunt for the gunman in the deadly Brown University shooting stretched into its fifth day, the investigation crossed state lines into Massachusetts.
North Attleborough police confirmed Wednesday that the efforts of Providence police and the FBI brought investigators “into numerous communities, including ours,” according to a press release. However, Richard McQuade, the city’s police chief, said in the statement that the investigative activity was not directly related to the manhunt.
“I want to emphasize that there is no immediate threat to our community,” McQuade said in the press release. “Despite social media chatter, the suspect is not being sought in the Town of North Attleboro.”
During a press conference Wednesday at the Providence Public Safety Complex, Col. Oscar Perez, chief of Providence police, briefly addressed the reason for the activity in North Attleborough.
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“I can’t confirm,” Perez said. “We’re all over the place. If a tip comes in and needs us to go out to Connecticut, we’re going down to Connecticut. If a tip comes in and tells us that we gotta go to Boston, we’re going to Boston.”
North Attleborough is located on the border of Rhode Island and is roughly 15 miles from Providence. Police in Plainville, a Massachusetts town which borders North Attleborough, also sent out a community update Wednesday about investigative activity.
“As part of this investigation, law enforcement personnel may be present in Plainville or surrounding communities to interview students, employees, or potential witnesses, particularly as much of the campus population has departed for winter break,” Plainville police said on Facebook. “These activities are being conducted as part of an ongoing investigation, are precautionary in nature, and at this time, there is no indication of an immediate public safety threat.”
Plainville police made a more overt reference to the spread of social media rumors about the shooting and the gunman.
“While social media can be a valuable tool for sharing important information, it is critical that any information shared publicly is accurate and appropriate,” police said. “Speculation or the dissemination of unverified information may cause unnecessary concern and could inadvertently interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation.”
‘No one’s discouraged’: Perimeter map of person of interest’s path released (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 6:50 p.m.)
Five days after two students were fatally shot during a Brown University study session, authorities are still asking for the public’s help in finding the shooter.
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“No one’s discouraged,” Attorney General Peter Neronha said at a press conference Wednesday evening. “Not every case is a case that can be solved quickly. In my view, they get solved. It’s just a matter of time … He will be caught, and it’s just a matter of time before we catch him.”
Police released an “area of focus” perimeter where the shooter was believed to have spent time around the shooting, bordered by Wickenden Street in the south, Thayer Street on the west, Gano Street on the east, and Watermen Street in the north. The map also includes the person of interest’s movements before and after the shooting that are caught on camera.
Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said the subject first appeared on surveillance videos at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning before the shooting. The last place he was seen is near Ives and Pitman streets, Perez said.
“This investigation is intensive, so we’re following his path,” Perez said. “We’re going to do our job. We’re not going to stop until we do and so we’re going to continue. We could be later, it could be tomorrow, but we’re not stopping until we find him.”
Of the eight students hospitalized in the shooting, two have now been discharged from the hospital, leaving one student in critical but stable condition and five in stable condition, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.
“The parents that I spoke with today all reported that their kids were improving,” Smiley said.
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Police also confirmed they have “actual physical evidence, DNA evidence” connected to the shooting.
Because it was an “elective” study hall, police and Brown University can’t confirm the number of students in the classroom where the shooting took place. When pushed about a reported lack of cameras at the building, Provost Francis Doyle III said there are “two different faces of the building that might have two different levels of technology.”
“For the record, we are cooperating 100% with law enforcement. We are turning over everything we have to assist in this,” Doyle said. “All video imagery has been turned over to law enforcement.”
Neronha also clarified that any reports of a “long gun” used in the shooting “would be a misperception from what I know.”
Earlier Wednesday, police said they’re seeking a person they believe “was in proximity of the person of interest” around 2:16 p.m. the day of the shooting near the Rhode Island Historical Society on Benevolent Street.
R.I. senator: ‘Just shut up until we know who did it and why’ (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 5:10 p.m.)
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who represents Rhode Island, slammed online sleuths speculating about unconfirmed theories regarding the gunman in the aftermath of the Brown University shooting at a Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning.
“There is simply no need from an investigative point of view for people who have no idea what they’re talking about to offer their stupid and ill-informed views about what happened all over the internet,” Whitehouse said.
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“So I would please, just from a law enforcement perspective, ask anyone who sees this to just shut up until we know who did it and why,” he continued. “We will find out, give it some time.”
Some online conservative figures have claimed the shooting was a targeted attack, as Ella Cook, one of the two students killed in the shooting, served as vice president of the Brown University College Republicans.
Brown University doubled down on condemning “harmful doxxing activity” impacting at least one community member, a Brown student-activist who officials have deemed not related to the investigation.
“I would leave it to us to identify persons of interest and let us run them down. What the public can do for us today is help us figure out who this guy is,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a Tuesday press conference.
Seven shooting victims remain hospitalized, all but one of them in stable condition (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 4:15 p.m.)
Seven people wounded in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University remained hospitalized as of Wednesday morning, all but one of them in stable condition, according to Rhode Island Hospital.
The remaining patient was in critical but stable condition, the hospital said.
Two students were killed and nine more injured Saturday when a gunman opened fire inside a building on the Ivy League campus. Rhode Island Hospital said two of the people wounded in the shooting have been discharged.
Writing on Instagram Wednesday, the Brown men’s volleyball team celebrated setter Spencer Yang’s release from the hospital and said the first-year student was “safely recovering at home with his family” after being shot in the leg.
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“In just a few short months at Brown, Spencer has become an absolute core member of our team and community, modeling what it means to be an incredible teammate, friend, and athlete,” the team wrote. “He is constantly bringing laughter, positivity, and light to the whole team, both on and off the court. He is so so loved by all of us and we could not be more grateful that he is safe and recovering.”
Providence police looking for individual who was ‘in proximity’ to person of interest (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2:40 p.m.)
Investigators are asking for the public’s help tracking down an individual who was “in proximity” to the person of interest in Saturday’s Brown University shooting.
The Providence Police Department said it is hoping to speak to the individual, who is shown in photographs wearing a blue coat with a light-colored hood.
Police are urging anyone with information to call the tip line at 401-272-3121.
Trump joins critics in questioning Brown University’s network of security cameras (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 12:15 p.m.)
Brown University’s security systems have come under scrutiny following Saturday’s shooting, with President Donald Trump among the vocal critics who have questioned the effectiveness of the college’s security cameras.
“Why did Brown University have so few Security Cameras?” the president wrote on social media at 12:40 a.m. Wednesday. “There can be no excuse for that. In the modern age, it just doesn’t get worse!!!”
While investigators do have footage from inside the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building, where the shooting occurred, the videos do not show the person of interest, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha explained Tuesday.
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“They show things like chaos after the shooting,” he added.
There are more than 1,200 cameras installed across campus, according to officials, and Brown University President Christina Paxson said Tuesday that Brown is “deeply committed to the safety and security and well-being of our community.”
“I’ve been deeply saddened to see people questioning that,” she added. “We understand that as time goes on, there is maybe a natural instinct to assign responsibility for a tragic event like this. Anxiety and fear is very natural. But the shooter is responsible. Horrific gun violence took the lives of these students and hospitalized others.”
“How does a multimillion-dollar school not have a bunch of cameras in the hallway?” a reporter demanded at another point as officials fielded questions Tuesday. Neronha explained the shooting occurred in an older section of the building, which was originally constructed in 1965 and later received a “major addition.”
“In that older part of the building, there are fewer, if any, cameras in that location,” Neronha said. “So as students are fleeing the area of the shooting into the new part of the building, there are cameras in that brand new building that show that chaos.”
He further noted the Barus & Holley building is at the edge of campus, an area that bleeds into a residential neighborhood.
“There are cameras that [Brown has] in place in an effort to protect their students, and unfortunately here, given location, given age of building, we just don’t have additional video footage,” he said. “Trust me, I wish we did.”
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Instead, Neronha explained, investigators are left trying to recreate the path taken by the person of interest, and they’re also searching for additional footage and canvassing the area for people who may have seen him or caught him on camera.
In a statement, the university said its “expansive” network of security cameras is installed “especially in high-traffic areas such as streets, sidewalks and campus walkways with significant foot traffic; and in academic and administrative buildings with an emphasis on entry and exit points.”
However, the cameras don’t cover every hallway, classroom, laboratory, or office in the hundreds of buildings on campus, Brown noted.
“For security reasons, it is not prudent to share where cameras are and are not relative to individual buildings and locations,” the university said. “What we can share is that Brown has and will continue to cooperate fully with the law enforcement agencies conducting this investigation. We have and will continue to provide investigators with any and all security camera footage they need.”
AG: If the Brown University shooter yelled anything, it hasn’t yielded a motive (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 10:45 a.m.)
Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha dismissed rumors speculating about a potential motive for the mass shooting at Brown University.
“There is no information that the investigative team has about motive,” he said. “Zero.”
Some of the speculation has focused on witnesses’ reports that the gunman yelled something unintelligible prior to opening fire, though Neronha alleged there were also “many” witnesses “that say nothing was said.”
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“There’s nothing about what we know was perhaps said that indicates any kind of motive that is related at all to ethnicity or political outlook or culture,” Neronha clarified. “There’s nothing at all that we know right now about that, and I think that that is a dangerous road to go down, particularly in today’s environment.”
Likewise, Providence’s chief of police, Col. Oscar L. Perez, told reporters he had no information on what, if anything, the shooter yelled.
Brown University addresses ‘doxxing’ of community member as online rumors spread (Wednesday, Dec. 17, 10:30 a.m.)
Brown University is speaking out against “harmful doxxing activity” targeting at least one campus community member in the wake of Saturday’s fatal shooting.
“It’s important to make clear that targeting individuals could do irrevocable harm,” the university emphasized in a statement. “Accusations, speculation and conspiracies we’re seeing on social media and in some news reports are irresponsible, harmful, and in some cases dangerous for the safety of individuals in our community.”
The warning came as social media users have spread unverified and unsubstantiated rumors tying a Brown student-activist to the shooting, despite authorities’ statements to the contrary. “Doxxing” refers to the practice of spreading an individual’s personal information online without their consent.
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told reporters he was aware of the name circulating online.
“I think this is an area where caution is really necessary,” he urged.
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Neronha acknowledged that the gunman’s purported statement prior to the shooting could be fodder for speculation about potential suspects and motives, though he cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
“That’s a really dangerous road to go down. Really dangerous,” he said. “If that name meant anything to this investigation, we would be out looking for that person. We would let you know we were looking for that person.”
He and Brown University President Christina Paxson also fielded questions about rumors that the university has removed webpages referring to the specific student targeted by online sleuths. Paxson said she was not aware of any Brown webpages being “scrubbed” from the internet, while Neronha said there are “lots of reasons why a page might be taken down.”
“It is not unusual as a safety measure to take steps to protect an individual’s safety when this kind of activity happens, including in regard to their online presence,” Brown University elaborated in its statement. “As law enforcement officials stated clearly on Tuesday afternoon, if this individual’s name had any relevance to the current investigation, they would be actively looking for this individual and providing information publicly.”
Neronha added: “I would leave it to us to identify persons of interest and let us run them down. What the public can do for us today is help us figure out who this guy is.”
GoFundMe verifies 3 fundraisers for Brown shooting victims, community (Tuesday, Dec. 15, 8:50 p.m.)
GoFundMe has verified three fundraisers to support the victims and the student community in the aftermath of the Brown University shooting on Saturday.
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A GoFundMe directed toward covering medical & funeral expenses for victims of the shooting has garnered more than $86,000 of a $120,000 goal as of Tuesday evening.
The “Bruno Flight Fund,” initiated by a Brown alumni, will assist students with the costs of flight bookings and related expenses. The fundraiser had raised more than $18,000 of a $15,000 goal as of Tuesday evening.
A verified GoFundMe for MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, a student at Brown who was killed in Saturday’s shooting, has raised more than $449,000 of a $460,000 goal as of Tuesday evening.
“Our hearts are with everyone impacted by the devastating shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island,” a GoFundMe spokesperson said in a statement. “At GoFundMe, we are working around the clock to help ensure the impacted communities receive the support they need.”
GoFundMe also created a “Centralized Hub” to platform all verified fundraisers following the shooting. The page will be updated with additional verified fundraisers by the platform’s Trust & Safety team, GoFundMe said.
With Brown shooter still at large, authorities release enhanced footage, dispel internet rumors (Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7:55 p.m.)
Authorities released enhanced videos of the person of interest connected to the deadly mass shooting at Brown University, who has yet to be identified, Providence officials said at a press conference.
“From my perspective, I think the investigation in a case like this, which is a challenging one, it’s going really well,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said.
The person of interest seen on the videos released was allegedly “casing” the area on Saturday morning before the shooting, said Col. Oscar Perez, Providence’s Chief of Police.
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Police are investigating nearly 200 “actionable tips,” Perez said. He asked residents with camera systems or Teslas to look back at least a week to find videos.
“It takes a lot of work, in the sense that there’s a lot of terabytes that we’re looking at in order to be able to analyze it, pull what we need,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just a moment that we need, and it’s almost as short as somebody taking a breath.”
The FBI and Providence police shared enhanced footage of the two videos released Monday showing someone who appears to be a man wearing a black beanie and mask.
When asked about additional footage from the building, Neronha said “there are fewer, if any, cameras” in the older part of the building, where the shooting takes place.
“There are cameras in that brand new building that show that chaos,” Neronha said. “The only video of … the person of interest, you have it. We would release it if we thought it would be helpful in identifying this subject because we are relying on the press and public to help get us there.”
Law enforcement officials also warned the public away from speculating on the alleged gunman’s motive. Some right-wing figures have claimed the shooting was a targeted attack on conservatives.
“There is no information that the investigative team has about motive. Zero,” Neronha said, agreeing that there is no evidence to show that Ella Cook, the vice president of the Brown University College Republicans, was targeted.
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There also appears to be “no connection” between the Brown University shooting and the fatal shooting of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor in Brookline Monday night, said Ted Docks, the Special Agent in Charge from the FBI Boston Field Office.
Brown University President Christina Paxson answered a question about online rumors that the university is taking down webpages referring to a specific student because — according to some online sleuths — that student allegedly perpetrated the shooting. She said she was not aware of any Brown webpages being taken down. Neronha said he knew of the student’s name and “there are lots of reasons why a page might be taken down.”
“If that name meant anything to this investigation, we would be out looking for that person. We (would) let you know we were looking for that person,” Neronha said. “There’s nothing about what we know was perhaps said that indicates any kind of motive that is related at all to ethnicity or political outlook or culture.”
Seven shooting victims remain hospitalized (Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2:15 p.m.)
Seven people wounded in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University remained hospitalized as of mid-morning Tuesday, according to Rhode Island Hospital.
Two students were killed and nine more wounded when a gunman opened fire inside a building on the Ivy League campus, where final exams were underway.
Five of the students who sustained gunshot wounds are now in critical stable condition, while one is in critical condition and another is in stable condition, hospital officials said Tuesday. Two additional patients have since been discharged.
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“Rhode Island Hospital is working closely with and providing support to all impacted family members and remains in continuous communication with Brown University,” the hospital said in a statement.
Brown University president remembers shooting victims as students with ‘amazing promise’ (Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2:05 p.m.)
Writing to students and staff Tuesday, Brown University President Christina H. Paxson remembered shooting victims Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov as “two young people whose amazing promise was extinguished too soon.”
“Both were at or near the beginning of their Brown journey — actually, they were at the beginning of a lot of things,” Paxson wrote. “Starting a new chapter away from home. Exploring. Making new friends. Learning about the world and themselves in new ways. Embarking on an exciting path to what life would hold for them in their years at and beyond Brown.”
Both students, who were killed Saturday in a mass shooting on campus that also wounded nine, were “brilliant and beloved” members of the Brown community, she continued.
Paxson described Cook, a sophomore from Mountain Brook, Alabama, as a “passionate and intellectually curious member of our community” and an accomplished competitive pianist with an interest in French and Francophone studies.
“Known for her compassionate, loyal and courageous spirit,” Cook also served as vice president of the Republican Club of Brown University and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Paxson said.
Umurzokov, meanwhile, “was known for being driven, conscientious and disciplined, particularly as he pursued his deep ambition to make a positive impact in the world by becoming a neurosurgeon,” she wrote.
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The first-year student was a dual U.S. citizen from Uzbekistan who graduated from Midlothian High School in Virginia earlier this year.
“I have been moved by his current and former classmates’ descriptions of him as someone who generously shared his intelligence, humor, and kindness with all those who knew him,” Paxson wrote.
She extended Brown’s “deepest, most profound condolences” to the students’ families, friends, teachers, and classmates, also sharing support resources for those in need.
“While we remember Ella and Mukhammad and their lives, I continue to be moved and inspired by the demonstrations of caring, the grace that students, faculty and staff are showing toward each other, and the remarkable resilience of this Brown community as we experience this period of grief,” Paxson added.
Candlelight service to be held Tuesday night on Brown University campus (Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1:30 p.m.)
A candlelight service will be held Tuesday night to grieve and process the Brown University mass shooting.
Saint Stephen’s Church, located on Brown’s campus, has dubbed the event “A Community Service of Lament, Healing, and Hope for Brown University.” All are welcome for the service, which is slated for 7 p.m. at 114 George St. in Providence, Rhode Island.
“Community leaders will offer reflections together with poignant music as we gather together to grieve, process, and begin the journey of healing,” Saint Stephen’s wrote in a notice for the event.
On Facebook, the church noted police security will be provided.
“Pray for Providence and for Brown University,” Saint Stephen’s wrote.
R.I. governor orders review of school safety plans (Tuesday, Dec. 16, 11:45 a.m.)
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has ordered a full review of school safety and security plans following Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University.
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Writing on social media Monday night, McKee said he has directed Postsecondary Education Commissioner Shannon Gilkey and Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green to work with K-12 schools and colleges on the safety review.
“As a parent who has sent my children off to college — I can only imagine how families are feeling right now,” McKee wrote. “And I assure you: The safety and wellbeing of your children and all Rhode Islanders are my priority.”
He also requested additional local police presence at schools, acknowledging “that many people are feeling anxious right now” in light of the “emotional toll.”
To that end, McKee tasked the education commissioners with working to strengthen mental health supports for the community, “especially at colleges, universities, and school districts.”
McKee further extended his thanks to Rhode Islanders who stepped in to offer their help.
“In the last few days, I’ve seen an outpouring of compassion, support and solidarity, with families offering to open their homes to students who may need a place to stay and businesses welcoming in those who need a place to gather and be with others,” he wrote. “As Governor and a Rhode Islander — I am deeply grateful for that kindness.”
Rhode Island rep. urges public to disregard unconfirmed online theories (Tuesday, Dec. 16, 11:25 a.m.)
Amid swirling misinformation surrounding Saturday’s Brown University mass shooting, Rhode Island’s U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner is urging the public to disregard unconfirmed theories circulating online.
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As reported by The Cut, prominent right-wing figures have claimed the shooting was a targeted attack on conservatives; one of the two students killed, sophomore Ella Cook, served as vice president of the Brown University College Republicans.
Joining a wave of conservative influencers who painted the shooter as a disgruntled leftist, Elon Musk reposted a since-deleted social media message blaming the left and commented, “The murderous indoctrination needs to stop now,” according to Mother Jones.
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday, Magaziner fielded a question about whether he’d received any information about a potential motive.
“No, and I think it’s very important that people not pay attention to the various theories that are floating around online,” the Democratic congressman said.
“There’s all kinds of noise online trying to speculate who the shooter may be, what the motive may be, but none of that is substantiated at this point,” Magaziner continued. “And it’s a real shame that when you have tragedies like this, there are sometimes people who look to capitalize on it for political or ideological reasons to stoke more fear, and to stoke more division.”
He encouraged community members to rely on local officials for guidance and updates, “not the noise online.”
Authorities face questions about release of new photos and videos (Tuesday, Dec. 16, 10:30 a.m.)
As another day of searching came to a close without anyone in custody, Rhode Island officials faced questions about the timing of the release of new images that purportedly show a person of interest in Saturday’s Brown University shooting.
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“It takes time,” Col. Oscar L. Perez, Providence’s chief of police, told reporters Monday. “Investigations are very complex, and when you’re doing canvassing in areas, or when you’re developing evidence, sometimes you get directed to another direction, and then that’s what makes you go back to certain areas and continue to investigate.”
Authorities released the additional photos and surveillance videos Monday, two days after a gunman opened fire in a building on the Ivy League school’s campus, killing two students and wounding nine more. Perez said the clips show a person of interest, who was caught on camera two hours before the shooting in the area of Hope Street and Benevolent and Manning streets.
“These investigations are like threads that you pull on a garment,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Monday. “Some of them you pull, and the garment doesn’t open up, and other ones you pull, and the garment comes undone. I think when you go out and get a better image of the person’s face, that can only help the public help us identify this person and confirm that they’re the right person, when that time comes.”
He also said investigators have been “making steady progress” to identify the person of interest.
“And the sooner that we can identify that person, the sooner we can, I think, blow this case open,” Neronha added. “But that’s work that has to happen in the next 24 to 36 hours.”
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According to Neronha, a man detained Sunday in connection with the shooting, who was released hours later, has officially been cleared.
“The person who was held, it was unfortunate that his name got leaked,” Neronha said. “It’s hard to put that name back in the bottle. He has been cleared; he is not a person of interest any longer. The investigation is now focused in another direction.”
He said video evidence has been pouring in at a higher rate since the weekend came to a close.
Later, as the press conference turned somewhat tense amid questions about Brown’s response to the shooting, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley appealed to media outlets for “patience and grace.”
“We have been fully transparent. We continue to answer your questions; we will continue to do so,” Smiley said. “But the best way to inform the public and to ask for their help is for these opportunities to not degrade into baseless accusations, and we will point them out when we hear them.”
Police release 2 new videos of Brown University shooting person of interest (Monday, Dec. 15, 6:40 p.m.)
Officials released the new videos of the person of interest connected to the Brown University shooting, reiterating a call for the public’s help to identify them.
“It’s critical that we reconstruct this man’s movements, both before and afterwards. My hope is that we will eventually have that pattern,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said. “We’re learning more about his movements as we gather additional video evidence, and that video evidence has been coming in at a much greater degree.”
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Col. Oscar Perez, chief of the Providence police, said the videos show the person of interest two hours before the shooting in the area of Hope Street and Benevolent and Manning streets.
The videos show someone who appears to be a man wearing a black beanie and mask. Officials reiterated that the man previously detained has been “cleared.”
The FBI is offering $50,000 for any information leading to the person of interest, Ted Docks, the Special Agent in Charge from the FBI Boston Field Office, said at the press conference.
“We are renewing our call for the public’s assistance in seeking any and all information about the shooter,” Docks said. “No amount of information is too small or irrelevant.”
Authorities are asking all tips or video clips to be shared with the Providence police at 401-272-3121 or fbi.gov/brownuniversity.
Providence police share additional video of person of interest in shooting (Monday, Dec. 15, 2:50 p.m.)
As authorities continue to gather photo and video evidence, Providence police have shared an additional clip of a person of interest sought in Saturday’s Brown University mass shooting.
“We are sharing a video of a person of interest and plan to release additional video as part of the ongoing investigation,” the Providence Police Department wrote on social media Monday afternoon.
Police urged anyone who recognizes the black-clad individual to submit a tip at fbi.gov/brownuniversityshooting or call 401-272-3121.
Earlier, Providence police said its officers were canvassing local businesses and residences to request available camera footage.
‘I locked eyes with him and his gun’: TA describes what happened after shooter entered Brown classroom (Monday, Dec. 15, 1:10 p.m.)
Joseph Oduro, a 21-year-old teaching assistant at Brown University, was wrapping up an economics study session Saturday afternoon when chaos erupted just outside the door.
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As students rose to leave, the sound of gunshots rang out in the hallway, followed by screaming, Oduro recalled in a CNN interview Sunday. Seconds later, the gunman entered the room, yelled something unintelligible, and opened fire.
“I was standing in the front of the auditorium, and he came through the back, so we pretty much directly made eye contact,” Oduro told CNN.
The TA said he signaled to students to take shelter in the front of the room and ducked out of sight “as soon as I locked eyes with him and his gun.” He ended up huddling behind a desk with about 20 other students, one of whom had been shot twice in the legs.
Oduro told CNN he’d spoken with the wounded student, who seemed “in good spirits” while awaiting surgery.
Asked how long the gunman was in the classroom, he replied: “It honestly felt like an eternity.”
Annie Johnson, a sophomore from Ohio who attended the review session, told The Washington Post she fell three times as she ran for an exit, helping up a fellow student who was trampled in the melee. She kept running until she reached her dorm room.
Spencer Yang, a first-year student from New York, told The New York Times he tried to help a seriously injured classmate stay conscious, even while grappling with his own leg wound.
“To keep him conscious, I just started talking to him, so he didn’t close his eyes and fall asleep,” said Yang, who was shot in the leg. The classmate he helped in those frantic moments is now stable, he told the Times.
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Yang told the newspaper he recalled little about the shooter; he said he laid down between some seats as the auditorium erupted into chaos.
“After the shots rang out, it was kind of silent,” he told the Times. “Once he was gone, I just remember a bunch of people started screaming.”
The bullet in his leg is lodged in muscle and does not require removal, though Yang will need physical therapy before returning to sports, the Times reported.
Oduro told CNN it’s difficult to put into words what he and his students experienced Saturday.
“As much training as you could possibly get when there’s an active shooter, you’re never going to be prepared when it actually takes place,” he said.
Oduro added: “Honestly, my heart just goes to the students that didn’t make it out of that room and the students that are in the hospital right now.”
Commenting on a LinkedIn post about Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, one of the two Brown students killed in the shooting, Oduro described the first-year as a “wonderful kid who came to class not because he had to, but simply to support a friend.”
“My deepest condolences go out to him and his family,” Oduro wrote. “I hope he is able to rest peacefully, knowing he was deeply loved by so many.”
Brown University students killed in shooting have been identified (Monday, Dec. 15, 11:15 a.m.)
A Brown University first-year with “big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon” and a sophomore described as “an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light” have been identified as the two people killed Saturday in the mass shooting on the Providence campus.
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“I am deeply saddened by reports of the tragic death of Brown University student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov on December 13,” U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick wrote on the embassy’s website Monday. “We extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Umurzokov’s family, friends, and fellow students and mourn the loss of his bright future.”
Umurzokov graduated from Virginia’s Midlothian High School in May and was studying biochemistry and neuroscience at Brown, according to his LinkedIn.
“He was incredibly kind, funny, and smart,” a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page. “He had big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and helping people. He continues to be my family’s biggest role model in all aspects.”
The fundraiser, which had already surpassed $250,000 as of mid-morning Monday, is intended to help Umurzokov’s family cover expenses following his death. Any excess funds will be donated to a charity in his name, according to the GoFundMe description.
Umurzokov “always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew,” the description reads. “Our family is incredibly devastated by this loss.”
Speaking to WPRI, his roommate, Khimari Manns, described Umurzokov as a “ball of joy” who “raised everybody else up.” Manns also said that when he returned to their shared room for the first time after the shooting, “it felt like there was a ghost.”
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Earlier, sophomore Ella Cook’s Birmingham, Alabama, church identified her as one of the students killed Saturday. Cathedral Church of the Advent’s Rev. Craig Smalley was visibly emotional as he spoke of Cook during a Sunday morning service, describing her as “an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light” both at home and at school.
“Pray for the Cooks,” he urged. “Give thanks for Ella and her deep and beautiful and winsome faithfulness. And as a community, let us stand and sing together, and grieve with people with deep and abiding and very real hope.”
The College Republicans of America also identified Cook as vice president of the Brown University College Republicans.
“Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates,” the organization’s president, Martin Bertao, said in a statement. “Our prayers are with her family, our Brown CR’s [sic] and the entirety of the campus as they heal from this tragedy.”
Bertao’s statement was reposted by a number of national Republican figures, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who wrote, “There are no words. Thinking of her family and friends, especially her parents. God please bless them.”
Evidence points to lone shooter, Providence mayor says (Monday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m.)
Evidence thus far suggests a lone gunman is to blame for Saturday’s fatal Brown University mass shooting, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told ABC News Monday.
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“Right now, we don’t have any evidence to suggest that it was more than that individual which has been seen in that video,” Smiley said, referring to surveillance footage showing a person of interest walking away from the scene.
Authorities detained a person of interest early Sunday, only to release him hours later after the evidence pointed “in a different direction,” Rhode Island’s attorney general said during a late-night press conference.
Speaking to ABC News Monday, Smiley explained that investigators continued to parse through evidence even after taking the man into custody.
“As we continued to process that evidence, it was determined that this person of interest needed to be released, and we continue with our investigation,” he said.
Asked whether the man who was detained had no connection to the shooting, Smiley replied, “We’re not saying that definitively. What we’re saying is that after a review of the evidence that was gathered, it was determined that the person of interest needed to be released.”
He added: “We’re going to continue to leave all doors open until such time as we’re in a place where we feel confident that we’ve got the right person.”
Smiley also noted an enhanced police presence on Brown’s campus and throughout Providence as the manhunt continues.
“We understand that there’s a high degree of anxiety, and after this individual was released last night, I understand that that anxiety level has risen in our community,” he acknowledged.
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However, Smiley stressed that authorities have received no credible threats to suggest the community is at risk of further violence.
Brown University delays admissions decisions (Monday, Dec. 15, 9:30 a.m.)
Following Saturday’s deadly campus shooting, Brown University announced a delay of up to 48 hours for admissions decisions.
“We are faced with the reality of mourning the loss of members of our community taken from us from a terrible act of violence, even as we acknowledge that we’re on the eve of a very important day for our many talented applicants to Brown,” the admissions office said in a statement.
Brown had been scheduled to notify early decision applicants of their acceptance or rejection Monday afternoon.
“While we remain excited about the dedicated students eager to join Brown, we are prioritizing care and support for our community and anticipate a brief delay in the release of admission decisions,” the admissions office said. “We are going to delay notifications for up to 48 hours and appreciate your patience and understanding as we grieve, heal, and begin to move forward together.”
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