Politics
JUST IN: Arrest Made In Brown University Shooting
Providence Police detained a person of interest early Sunday morning in connection with a fatal shooting at Brown University. The individual, described as a male in his 20s, was taken into custody at approximately 3:45 a.m. at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 28 miles south of Providence.
The FBI’s Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team used cellphone data to geolocate the person of interest, Director Kash Patel announced in a statement.
“As a result, early this morning, FBI Boston’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the (US Marshals) and the (Coventry, Rhode Island Police) detained a person of interest in a hotel room in Coventry, RI, based off a lead by the (Providence Police),” Patel posted on social media.
Two firearms were recovered when authorities raided the suspect’s hotel room. A source familiar with the investigation told CNN that one of the firearms was equipped with a laser sight,
The person is not affiliated with the university as a student or employee, Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez stated during a press conference on Sunday morning. He added that authorities are not currently looking for any additional suspects in the case.
An update on the @FBI response at Brown University:@FBIBoston established a command post to intake, develop and analyze leads, and run them to ground.
We activated the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, to provide critical geolocation capabilities.
As a result, early… pic.twitter.com/KONDEbrduR
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) December 14, 2025
Gunfire started around 4:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, inside a first-floor classroom in the Barus and Holley building, part of Brown University’s engineering complex on Hope Street in Providence, Rhode Island. The incident took place during a final exam review session for a Principles of Economics course, one of several exams scheduled in the building from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Two students were killed, and nine others — all of whom were also identified as students — were injured.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed the casualties at a news conference, noting that “seven people who were injured in the incident remained in a stable condition, one of them is in critical condition, and another was discharged.” One of the injuries resulted from fragments rather than a direct gunshot wound, officials reported.
Law enforcement described the weapon used in the attack as a handgun, based on shell casings recovered from the scene. A weapon was not recovered at the scene and officials have yet to provide exact details on the firearms recovered from the suspect’s hotel room.
The suspect, identified through surveillance video as a male dressed in black clothing — including a hood and possibly a mask — fled the building on foot after the gunfire. Video footage released by police shows the individual walking along Hope Street and turning north.
As of Sunday afternoon, no motive has been established for the attack. Investigators have not disclosed any connections between the suspect and the victims or the university.
