2 killed in shooting at Brown University during final exams, Trump expresses grief

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 14, 2025 05:50 IST

At least two people were killed, and eight others were critically injured in a shooting at Brown University’s engineering building on Saturday, Providence's mayor said, as police continued searching for a suspect on the Ivy League campus during final exams.

The shooting took place on the second day of exams and prompted a large police response, with officers combing campus buildings more than two hours after the violence erupted. A shelter-in-place order remained in effect for the surrounding area.

The suspect was described as a male dressed in black who was last seen leaving the building, said Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley requested nearby residents to stay indoors and avoid returning home until authorities declare the area safe.

“We have all available resources” working to locate the suspect, Smiley said.

Brown University officials initially alerted students and staff that a suspect was in custody but later corrected that information, saying police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to the university’s emergency notification system.

Smiley later said a person who was initially detained was found to have no connection to the shooting.
“We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant,” Providence City Councilmember John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

“As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”

The shooting occurred near the Barus and Holley building, a seven-story structure that houses Brown’s School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories along with classrooms and offices, and engineering design exams were underway at the time.

Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block away, said students in a nearby lab hid under desks and turned off the lights after receiving emergency alerts.

President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he had been briefed on the shooting. “God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he said on social media.

Authorities warned the public to avoid the area as the scene remained active, and a police officer advised media members to take cover in their vehicles. Officials cautioned that information was still preliminary as investigators worked to determine what happened.

Police were continuing to gather information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, Providence’s chief public information officer. The FBI is assisting with the response.

Brown University is a private institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students.

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With inputs from Associated Press