Benjamin Erickson was identified as the person of interest in the Brown University shooting on Saturday that killed two people and injured at least nine, NBC News reported, citing law enforcement sources. Officials have not named the suspect yet.
The publication further added that the 24-year-old, from Wisconsin, might have a mental health history, and authorities are looking into it. A link between Erickson and Brown University is also being investigated, the report added.
It was further revealed that Benjamin Erickson has a military background. As per reports, his LinkedIn account states that he is from West Bend, Wisconsin, and is a US Army cyber warfare officer. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May before starting his military job.
Public records also indicate that as of 2024, Benjamin Erickson’s residence was an apartment in Washington, D.C., and that he previously lived in Wisconsin, NBC reported.
Erickson was an infantryman in the U.S. Army from May 2021 to November 2024, as per a statement from Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro to the publication. He does not appear to have a previous criminal record, NBC also noted. “He has no deployments and left the Army in the rank of specialist,” Castro said.
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What more do we know about Benjamin Erickson
Investigators have begun piecing together a clearer profile of the individual detained in connection with the deadly shooting, who NBC News reported has been identified as Benjamin Erickson.
CNN cited officials to report that Erickson traveled from Wisconsin to Rhode Island, which is about 17 hours, with authorities believing the trip was made specifically to carry out the attack.
Brown University Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr. confirmed the suspect’s age range during a briefing.
Law enforcement tracked the individual to a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, where officers located and detained him. CNN sources added that police knocked on the hotel room door and ordered him to open it. Once inside, officers questioned him about his whereabouts throughout the day and evening. The man reportedly claimed he had remained in the hotel the entire time.
During a search of the room, authorities recovered two firearms. Multiple federal law enforcement sources said officers found a revolver and a compact Glock handgun equipped with a laser sight.
The FBI played a key role in locating the suspect. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team used cellphone location data to help identify and geolocate the person of interest who was later taken into custody in connection with the Brown University shooting.