Newly released footage has revealed the chilling nonchalance of the suspect in the Brown University shooting, showing him strolling past police officers in the immediate aftermath of the deadly attack. Federal investigators published a video timeline on Tuesday, tracing the unidentified man's movements before and after gunfire erupted on 13 December, an event that left two students dead and nine others injured.
Chilling Timeline of a Killer
The five-minute compilation, pieced together from security and Ring camera footage, paints a disturbing picture of a calm and unhurried individual. At approximately 4:03 p.m. on the day of the massacre, shots rang out in the Barus and Holley building, which houses the university's physics and engineering departments. Just moments later, the suspect is seen walking calmly in front of a Providence Police car.
By around 4:07 p.m., the person of interest was captured easing through a wooded area near the Ivy League campus. Authorities noted he seemed completely unalarmed by the presence of law enforcement or surveillance cameras. The video timeline began tracking him from around 2:00 p.m., showing him wandering neighbourhoods adjacent to the university for hours leading up to the shooting.
The suspect travelled through several Providence streets, including Hope, Cooke, George, and Benevolent. He was consistently dressed in all black attire—a jacket, pants, and hat—and wore a dark grey camouflage mask. At points in the footage, he is seen with his arm suspiciously tucked inside his jacket.
A Community Living in Fear
The footage's release comes as police face significant criticism over their response. An initial person of interest was detained on Sunday morning but was released by evening due to insufficient evidence, leaving the true suspect at large. Criminal profiler John Kelly told Fox News the university was a 'soft target' for the killer and highlighted the profound uncertainty surrounding the manhunt.
'They don't know if he's 500 miles away or five doors down the street,' Kelly stated. 'What they do know is he's a psycho killer and mass shooter. If they don't get him, there is a lot of fear for people living there, and there will be a lot of scared kids returning to campus.'
The shooting has devastated the university community and prompted a shelter-in-place order at 4:22 p.m. on the day of the attack. Officials confirmed the gunman easily entered the building as it was left unlocked during final exams. All remaining classes and exams at Brown have been cancelled.
Victims and the Ongoing Manhunt
The two students killed in the attack have been identified as 19-year-old Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama, and 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, who harboured ambitions of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Providence Police, in collaboration with the Rhode Island State Police and the FBI, are leading a major investigation. They have issued a description of the suspect as a man approximately 5'8" tall with a stocky build, believed by witnesses to be in his 30s. A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the shooter's identification, arrest, and conviction.
For local residents, the fear is palpable. Rhode Island School of Design teacher Gloria-Jean Masciarotte expressed her anguish to NBC News, stating she shouldn't feel scared in her own home. 'I think that is going to go unsolved for many years,' she lamented, hoping the tragedy would not destroy the community's sense of openness and shared life.
