A person of interest has been taken into custody overnight in connection with the shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island, according to Providence’s Chief Public Information Officer for Public Safety, Kristy DosReis.
Sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News that the individual was taken into custody based on a tip to law enforcement. Authorities said the person is not a student at the university.
The development follows a deadly shooting on Saturday afternoon at Brown University that left two people dead and eight others critically injured.
Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters at a Saturday evening news conference that the shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. local time inside the Barus & Holley engineering building.
He said the eight injured victims were taken to Rhode Island Hospital in “critical but stable” condition.
“Those are the only injuries or casualties that we know at this time,” Smiley said, adding that “these numbers may change, we are still in early hours.”
The university said final examinations were taking place in the building at the time of the shooting.
Earlier, authorities said no arrests had been made and a shelter-in-place order was issued for the Brown University area. Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O’Hara said no weapons had been recovered.
O’Hara said the suspect was described as a male dressed in black who fled the building from the Hope Street side. Officials later cleared the building but did not locate the suspect.
“If you live on or near Brown’s campus, we are urging you to stay home and stay inside,” Smiley said.
A university alert instructed students to lock doors, silence phones, and remain hidden until further notice. School public safety initially reported that a suspect was in custody but later withdrew the statement.
“There was an individual who was preliminary thought to be involved, but was later determined to have no involvement,” Smiley said.
United States President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he had been briefed on the shooting.
“God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” Mr. Trump said. He later clarified that no suspect was in custody, writing, “The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement — The suspect is NOT in custody.”
The FBI said it was assisting Rhode Island authorities with available resources, while the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed it was sending agents to the university.
“The unthinkable has happened,” Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said at the news conference.
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