Pressure is mounting on law enforcement as the desperate search for the gunman who killed two students at Brown University stretches into a fifth day, with a series of critical questions undermining public confidence in the investigation.
Mounting Scrutiny Over Evidence and Motive
The investigation, now exceeding 90 hours, remains heavily reliant on grainy surveillance footage of a masked, heavyset man in dark clothing, released alongside a $50,000 reward for information. The victims, Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, were shot in a single seventh-floor classroom in the university's Barus & Holley engineering building on Saturday afternoon.
Authorities admit they have no clear motive. Speculation arose after it emerged Cook was vice president of the university's Republican Club, but Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated officials have "nothing new" and are clueless as to "any kind of motive." The gunman's precise targeting of that specific classroom suggests a deliberate choice, yet the reason remains a mystery.
Frustration has grown over the quality of surveillance evidence. Despite over 1,200 cameras on campus, images are vague. Neronha blamed outdated systems in the older section of the building where the shooting occurred, indicating the public may have seen all the usable footage available.
Police Missteps and a Suspect at Large
The investigation has been marred by significant errors. On Sunday, police detained and then released a 'person of interest,' conceding they had the wrong person. This fiasco, coupled with earlier false alerts about an arrest, has set the manhunt back.
In a startling revelation, new footage shows the suspect casually strolling past police officers at the scene minutes after the 2:08 pm shooting, his hands behind his back and with an apparent limp. His escape route from the building and subsequent half-hour walk through Providence streets, captured on Ring and surveillance cameras, has not led to an identification.
Further complicating matters, witnesses reported the gunman shouted something as he opened fire, but none of the approximately 60 students present have been able to confirm what was said, fueling online speculation.
A Dangerous Vacuum of Information
The lack of progress has led to what officials call dangerous speculation online, with names of innocent individuals being circulated. Attorney General Neronha warned this is a "really dangerous road to go down," emphasising there is no evidence the motive was related to ethnicity, politics, or culture.
As the agonising wait for an arrest continues, the FBI also faced criticism for briefly posting a compilation of footage that included private home addresses before hastily deleting it. With authorities now appealing for "even an incidental detail" from the public, the community and a nation watch on, hoping for a breakthrough that will end the painful search for the killer.
