A deadly shooting during final exams at Brown University on Saturday left at least two people dead and eight others critically injured, plunging the Ivy League campus into lockdown as police launched an intensive manhunt for the gunman. The attack occurred inside the Barus and Holley building, home to the university’s engineering and physics departments, where more than 100 laboratories and multiple classrooms were occupied for scheduled exam sessions. Students taking engineering design exams were caught off guard as gunfire erupted, triggering panic and immediate emergency alerts across campus.
Authorities ordered a shelter-in-place for the university and surrounding neighbourhoods, with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley urging residents not to return home until officers could ensure the area was safe. Police initially believed they had a suspect in custody, but later confirmed the individual had no connection to the shooting. The revised alert deepened confusion and fear as law enforcement continued searching for the attacker, described as a man dressed entirely in black who was last seen fleeing the building on foot.
Police and federal agents, including the FBI, swept through academic buildings, libraries and residence halls as part of the search effort. Video from inside the Rockefeller Library showed students hiding together until armed officers entered, instructed them to raise their hands, and escorted them out room by room. Students described turning off lights, sheltering under desks and whispering updates to one another as alerts warned of an active shooter.
City officials expressed heartbreak over the attack. Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, who represents the district that includes the campus, said the violence struck at the core of a community preparing for exams and year-end academic milestones. Brown University leaders said they were still gathering information, emphasising that details remained preliminary amid the ongoing investigation.
National leaders also responded. President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the shooting and extended condolences to the victims and their families. Vice President JD Vance added that federal agencies were standing by to support local law enforcement and that officials were monitoring developments in real time.
As night fell, the shelter-in-place order remained active, with police advising people to stay indoors and media to take cover. Investigators continued to process the sprawling crime scene, gather witness accounts and analyse surveillance footage in an effort to identify and locate the suspect responsible for one of the most violent incidents in Brown University’s recent history.
