A manhunt is under way after two students were killed and nine other people were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The gunman opened fire in a classroom at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday, in a building where exams were taking place.
The university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the US, was placed into lockdown as police searched for the gunman, who remains at large. Students in parts of the campus are continuing to be told to shelter in place until police can escort them out of the area. Officials from Rhode Island Hospital said most of the injured are in a critical but stable condition.
The identities of those killed or injured have not yet been released by officials. This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us, said Brown University President Christina Paxson in a statement. Police have released limited information about the male suspect, including an identity or motive. It is not known if he has links to the university.
CCTV footage showed the suspect walking out of the building after the attack but his face cannot be seen. Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O'Hara said the suspect was dressed all in black and may have been wearing a mask. It is not known what type of firearm he used and it has not been recovered. We're utilising every resource possible to find this suspect, he added, with extra armed police resources drafted into search the area.
The shooting happened at the Barus and Holley building, part of Brown University's engineering school. The attack occurred in a large classroom on the first floor. An economics professor described the chaos as students attempted to escape the gunfire.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it was reported that a suspect had been taken into custody but it was quickly confirmed that the man held had no involvement in the attack.
Residents in the greater Brown University area have been told to stay inside or to stay away until the shelter-in-place order is lifted. Maryland Governor Dan McKee stated: Our capital city experienced an unthinkable tragedy today. Our hearts are with the people of Providence and all those impacted.
The attack on the campus brings the number of mass shootings in the US to 389 for this year, making this incident part of a concerning trend of gun violence in educational institutions.
The university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the US, was placed into lockdown as police searched for the gunman, who remains at large. Students in parts of the campus are continuing to be told to shelter in place until police can escort them out of the area. Officials from Rhode Island Hospital said most of the injured are in a critical but stable condition.
The identities of those killed or injured have not yet been released by officials. This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us, said Brown University President Christina Paxson in a statement. Police have released limited information about the male suspect, including an identity or motive. It is not known if he has links to the university.
CCTV footage showed the suspect walking out of the building after the attack but his face cannot be seen. Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O'Hara said the suspect was dressed all in black and may have been wearing a mask. It is not known what type of firearm he used and it has not been recovered. We're utilising every resource possible to find this suspect, he added, with extra armed police resources drafted into search the area.
The shooting happened at the Barus and Holley building, part of Brown University's engineering school. The attack occurred in a large classroom on the first floor. An economics professor described the chaos as students attempted to escape the gunfire.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it was reported that a suspect had been taken into custody but it was quickly confirmed that the man held had no involvement in the attack.
Residents in the greater Brown University area have been told to stay inside or to stay away until the shelter-in-place order is lifted. Maryland Governor Dan McKee stated: Our capital city experienced an unthinkable tragedy today. Our hearts are with the people of Providence and all those impacted.
The attack on the campus brings the number of mass shootings in the US to 389 for this year, making this incident part of a concerning trend of gun violence in educational institutions.
