Published on: Dec 15, 2025 03:18 am IST
Authorities provided more details about the Brown University shooting suspect, stating that a person of interest was detained in Providence, Rhode Island.
Benjamin Erickson is reportedly the person of interest authorities have taken into custody after the Brown University shooting as per NBC News and Washington Post. Authorities provided details about the shooting suspect, stating that a person of interest was detained in Providence, Rhode Island. However, during the press conference a hot mic moment gave away a key detail that is of importance to the case.
An interaction between a city official and police chief Oscar L. Perez Jr., from during the conference has gone viral. The clip was shared by independent journalist Nick Sortor. The police chief says that a person is ‘in custody’ at which point the official leans over and says that ‘custody is the wrong word’.
Then it becomes clear that authorities have ‘detained’ a ‘person of interest’ for ten hours, but have not confirmed specifically having a ‘suspect in custody’. While being detained means a temporary restriction of movement due to investigative purposes, being in custody usually follows an arrest. The key distinction means that the person has not been arrested yet, as cops probe the December 13 shooting that left two dead and eight injured.
Brown University shooting: Wisconsin link emerges
Perez has noted that the person in custody was a male in their 20s, and was taken into custody at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Providence.
Two handguns were recovered when the person of interest was taken into custody and authorities found two loaded 30-round magazines, as per Associated Press. One of the firearms had a laser sight to aid targeting, the agency further reported. The Brown University shooter had fired over 40 rounds from a 9mm, authorities shared.
Authorities reportedly asked the person what he’d been doing that day and evening, and the individual replied they’d been in the hotel the whole time, as per CNN. The publication further reported that the person of interest is believed to have travelled from Wisconsin to Rhode Island to carry out the shooting at Brown last night.
