Police in the United States are entering a fifth day of searching for the gunman who opened fire at Brown University, with the suspect's identity and motive still a complete mystery.
Chaotic Investigation and Mounting Criticism
The investigation into the Saturday afternoon shooting has faced significant criticism from law enforcement experts and public figures alike. A former FBI agent with 25 years of experience, Jennifer Coffindaffer, told the Daily Mail that investigators appeared to have "jumped the gun" by prematurely naming a person of interest, whose image was widely shared before he was released without charge.
Coffindaffer suggested the move was an attempt to look like heroes, but it backfired. She also criticised the decision to tell the public there was no threat, only to later warn of an "armed and dangerous killer on the loose." The case, she said, has become "chaotic to the point of being shambolic."
Even former President Donald Trump weighed in, questioning online why the prestigious university had "so few Security Cameras" in the right positions.
A Killer Who Evaded 1,200 Cameras
The shooting occurred at 4.05pm on Saturday in Room 166 of the Barus and Holley building, as students were leaving an Economics 110 final exam review session. The building's door was unlocked that day to accommodate students studying for midterms.
The gunman, described as around 5ft 8in with a stocky build and clad in dark clothing, a mask, and gloves, managed to evade the campus's extensive network of 1,200 security cameras. He killed two students and wounded nine others before fleeing.
The victims were Ella Cook, 19, from Alabama, vice-president of the campus Republicans club, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, from Virginia, a neuroscience student whose family immigrated from Uzbekistan. The pair appeared to have nothing in common.
Targeted Attack or Opportunity?
Former agent Coffindaffer believes the attacker was intimately familiar with the Brown campus, likely "a student there, taught there, in some capacity was there." The choice of a specific building, floor, and classroom suggests the attack was "quite targeted toward Brown - if not toward a specific person."
She noted the building is on the edge of campus, allowing for a quick escape, but also speculated the killer may have wanted to "send a message to those students in that particular faculty." The room itself had no internal security cameras.
Remarkably, new footage released on Tuesday showed the suspect casually strolling past police officers working the scene shortly after the shooting, appearing in no rush.
Fallout on Campus and for the FBI
The ongoing manhunt has paralysed the Ivy League campus. Midterm exams were cancelled, and many students have fled, with some flying home to other countries. Students have expressed frustration at the security failure despite the surveillance state.
Brown President Christina Paxson defended the university's systems, explaining that the older engineering building had fewer cameras and that campus-wide sirens were not activated to avoid panicking people into the shooter's path.
The FBI itself has drawn scrutiny. Director Kash Patel was criticised after the agency posted and then hastily deleted a compilation of surveillance footage that inadvertently included private home addresses. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey called it "further demonstration of how completely unqualified he is."
Police are also searching for a second man, seen in proximity to the shooter, who they believe could be a critical witness. As the manhunt continues with no clear lead, a community remains on edge, waiting for answers that are yet to come.
