Several Killed And Injured As Shooting Rocks Ivy League Brown University During Final Exams

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

PROVIDENCE (Worthy News) – Students, staff and anxious parents faced an uncertain Sunday and several leaders urged prayers after a shooter killed at least two people and wounded nine others at Brown University in the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The attacker entered the Barus & Holley engineering building on Brown University’s Ivy League campus in the state’s city of Providence while students were taking their final exams, officials confirmed.

The gunman, described by authorities as a male dressed in black, opened fire inside the academic complex before fleeing the scene, triggering a major emergency response.

Hours after the shooting, the university remained in lockdown as law enforcement agencies canvassed the area and conducted a large-scale manhunt, explained Providence Mayor Brett Smiley.

Authorities said the suspect was last seen leaving the building shortly after the gunfire erupted.

UNIVERSITY SHOOTING TRIGGERS LOCKDOWN, MANHUNT

A shelter-in-place order remained in effect for the campus and surrounding neighborhoods as police searched academic buildings, nearby homes, yards and porches.

The suspect “was a male in dark clothing,” said Providence Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara, adding that some witnesses reported the individual may have been wearing a mask.

Investigators recovered shell casings from the scene but were not prepared to release further details about the weapon or the sequence of events, O’Hara said.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined local and state police in the investigation.

University officials said most of those shot were students, while another person was injured by fragments during the shooting, though some details remained unconfirmed.

VICTIMS HOSPITALIZED AS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES JOIN INVESTIGATION

At least eight gunshot victims were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where several were listed in critical but stable condition, hospital officials said.

Students described chaotic scenes as gunfire erupted, with many hiding under desks, inside laboratories or locking themselves in classrooms and offices.

Streets surrounding the campus were lined with emergency vehicles as security was heightened across Providence amid fears the suspect could still be nearby.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting and urged prayers for the victims and their families.

“All we can do right now is pray for the victims,” Trump told reporters, after earlier remarks suggesting a suspect was in custody were later corrected by officials.

LEADERS CALL FOR PRAYER WITH MOTIVE UNKNOWN

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the shooting cast a dark shadow over the city and the state just days before Christmas and other holidays. “Sadly, today is a day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come,” he said.

Several Rhode Island lawmakers echoed calls for prayer and praised first responders, while urging patience as investigators continued their work.

The Barus & Holley complex is a seven-story building housing Brown University’s School of Engineering and physics department, containing more than 100 laboratories, classrooms and offices.

Brown University, one of America’s most prestigious Ivy League institutions, enrolls about 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students, according to university figures.

Authorities said no motive has yet been identified, and the suspect remained at large as investigators analyzed surveillance footage and witness statements.

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