Providence, Dec 14: Police in Rhode Island have taken a person of interest into custody following a mass shooting at Brown University that killed two people and wounded nine others during final exams. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez said early Sunday that the detained individual is in their 30s and that authorities are not searching for additional suspects.
Officials have not confirmed whether the person has any connection to the university.
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon inside a first-floor classroom in Brown’s engineering building in Providence.
The gunman, armed with a handgun, fired more than 40 rounds, according to law enforcement.
While the weapon has not been recovered, police found two loaded 30-round magazines. Surveillance footage showed a suspect dressed in black calmly walking away from the scene.
The incident prompted a massive police response, with hundreds of officers searching the campus and nearby neighbourhoods, forcing a prolonged shelter-in-place order that was lifted early Sunday. Streets were deserted as students were escorted from buildings to secure locations.
University President Christina Paxson described the event as devastating but said the community would recover.
Nine injured victims were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, with one in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were stable.
Exams were underway at the time of the shooting, and students described scenes of panic as they hid under desks or fled to nearby buildings. (AP)
