The head of public safety at Brown University has been placed on administrative leave as the prestigious institution launches a sweeping review of its security protocols following a deadly mass shooting on campus.
Leadership Change Amid Tragedy
University officials confirmed on Monday that Rodney Chatman, the Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management, was placed on leave with immediate effect. His day-to-day responsibilities have been handed to Hugh Clements, the former Chief of the Providence Police Department, who will serve in an interim capacity.
This decisive move comes amidst intense scrutiny of the Ivy League school's security measures after the December 13 attack that claimed the lives of two students and injured nine others. The victims have been identified as sophomore Ella Cook and freshman Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
Scrutiny Over Security and a Wider Manhunt
Criticism has focused sharply on whether security cameras were operational in the area of the attack and on the general accessibility of campus buildings. The fallout has prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, which is examining if the university complied with federal campus safety laws.
The suspected gunman, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, a former Brown physics graduate student, evaded capture for days. The manhunt ended tragically on Thursday night when he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a storage facility in New Hampshire.
Authorities believe that, two days after the Brown shooting, Neves Valente also fatally shot MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home in the Boston area. The two men had attended school together in Portugal during the 1990s.
University Pledges Action and Community Mourns
In a detailed letter to the Brown community, University President Christina Paxson acknowledged the profound fear and stress caused by the tragedy. She praised the bravery of the first responders whose "actions saved lives," but emphasised the necessity of a thorough, independent review.
"A review like this is standard," Paxson stated. "As it takes place, Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman is on leave, effective immediately." She appointed Hugh Clements due to his national reputation in community-oriented policing and his prior connection to Brown as a visiting fellow.
Paxson vowed the university's "deep commitment to take every possible action to increase the safety and security of our campus." Meanwhile, hundreds gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday to remember Ella Cook, a beloved member of her community.
The university now faces the dual challenge of supporting a grieving community while implementing concrete changes to restore confidence in its campus security infrastructure. The interim leadership of the public safety department will report directly to President Paxson, underscoring the administration's focus on accountability during this critical period of healing and review.
