Officials at Brown University have issued a stark warning against harmful online doxxing as a major police operation continues to hunt for the gunman responsible for a deadly campus shooting. The attack on 13 December claimed the lives of two students and left nine others injured, with the suspect still at large.
University Condemns "Irresponsible" Speculation
In a strongly worded statement, university authorities slammed the "harmful doxxing activity" directed towards at least one member of its community. This came after internet sleuths noticed that websites related to an individual associated with the Ivy League institution had been taken down, sparking online speculation.
"It's important to make clear that targeting individuals could do irrevocable harm," the university said. "Accusations, speculation and conspiracies we're seeing on social media and in some news reports are irresponsible, harmful and in some cases dangerous."
The officials explained that removing online information was a standard safety measure to protect individuals when such targeting occurs. They emphasised that if the named individual was relevant to the investigation, law enforcement would be actively searching for them and would have informed the public.
Authorities Urge Public to Focus on Identified Person of Interest
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha echoed this caution during a fiery press conference. "I think this is an area where caution is really necessary," Neronha stated. "It's easy to jump from someone saying words that were spoken to what those words were to a particular name... that's a really dangerous road to go down."
He urged the public to leave the identification of persons of interest to the professionals, adding: "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."
Instead, authorities are pleading for help in identifying a person of interest captured on a detailed video timeline released by federal investigators. The footage, a five-minute compilation from security and Ring cameras, tracks the individual's movements before and after the 4:03pm shooting at the Barus and Holley building.
Chilling Footage and a $50,000 Reward
The video shows a calm and unhurried individual, described as 5'8" with a stocky build and believed to be in his 30s. Notably, he is seen walking past a Providence police car just after 4pm and later moving through a wooded area near campus at around 4:07pm.
The suspect, wearing a black hat, jacket, trousers and a dark grey camouflage mask, spent hours wandering neighbourhoods adjacent to the university. At points, he kept one arm suspiciously tucked inside his jacket. Providence police are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the shooter's identification, arrest, and conviction.
The gunman entered an unlocked building during final exams and opened fire on a weekend study session on the seventh floor. The victims were named as 19-year-old sophomore Ella Cook from Alabama and 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, who aspired to be a neurosurgeon. An initial suspect was detained on Sunday morning but released the same evening due to insufficient evidence.
With remaining classes and exams cancelled, some local residents fear a prolonged investigation. Rhode Island School of Design teacher Gloria-Jean Masciarotte told NBC News she now feels afraid in her own home, worrying the case "is going to go unsolved for many years."
