Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting at Brown University on Saturday afternoon in which two students were killed and nine others were injured. The shooting allegedly took place at the university campus in Rhode Island when final exams were going on.
The shooting had triggered chaos in the vicinity of the Ivy league campus as police officials launched a hunt to nab the shooter, urging students and staff to shelter in place, news agency AP reported. The lockdown was reportedly lifted early Sunday.
What we know about the shooting suspect
AP quoted Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, saying that the suspect was in their 30s and that investigators were not searching for anyone else. The police has not yet confirmed if the suspect is connected to the university. The suspect was taken into custody at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Providence, the news agency reported.
The reported shooting incident allegedly took place near the Barus & Holley building, which houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. The seven-storey building had more than 100 laboratories, and dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.
The university had initially, through its emergency notification system, told students and staff that a suspect had been taken into custody. However, it later said that was not the case, adding that the police were still looking searching for a suspect or suspects.
Brown University shooting
The shooting came at a time when final exams were underway, one of the busiest moments of the academic calendar. The university management suspended all academic activities, including classes, exams, papers and projects for the semester. the students were told they were free to leave the campus.
AP quoted an official saying that the gunman fired more than 40 rounds with a 9mm handgun inside a classroom in the university’s engineering building.
“Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” Brown University President Christina Paxson said at a news conference. “Our community’s strong and we’ll get through it, but it’s devastating.”
As of Sunday morning, one student had been released from the hospital, said Paxson. Seven others were in critical but stable condition and one was in critical condition.