A person of interest in his 20s has been taken into custody following a shooting at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, police have confirmed. The suspect was apprehended at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, after a manhunt that involved the FBI using cellphone data to track his location.
Providence Police Chief Colonel Oscar Perez confirmed the arrest on Sunday morning but declined to say whether the individual is the same person seen in surveillance footage released by authorities on Saturday. The suspect has not been named, and officials have not yet classified him as a suspect, referring to him only as a person of interest.
The shooting occurred on Friday during final exams at the Barus and Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and the physics department. Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that the two deceased were students. Eight people remain in hospital, seven in critical but stable condition, while one student was discharged on Saturday night.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that a small Glock handgun with a laser sight and a revolver were found in the hotel room where the person of interest was arrested. Officials have not confirmed whether a weapon used in the attack has been recovered. The FBI used cellphone data to locate the individual, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
US President Donald Trump paid tribute to the victims, saying, ‘I want to just pay my respects to the people, unfortunately two are no longer with us… To the nine injured: get well fast.’ Politicians, including Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have condemned the attack and called for stronger gun control measures.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee wrote an open letter thanking emergency responders, stating, ‘Right now, our community is in pain.’ The university has lifted a shelter-in-place order, and the investigation continues.
