Two people dead and eight others in critical condition
Two people have died and eight others are in a critical but stable condition in hospital, Providence mayor Brett Smiley said.
He added no suspect is in custody yet over the shooting.
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Updated at 18.39 EST
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We’re getting some more comments from local officials.
Brown University provost Frank Doyle said final exams were taking place in the engineering building when the shooter opened fire.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley asked for prayers for the families of the victims, noting the coming Christmas holiday. “It’s going to be a difficult rest of the day, difficult days and months ahead as this community heals,” he said.
Smiley declined to say whether the victims were students.
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Edward Helmore
Laith Reader Frayn, 14, said he was in a barbershop opposite the engineering building when police and emergency vehicles arrived.
“A bunch of cop cars, a lot of ambulances and tactics teams showed up. I heard gunshots soon after they showed up. Then I saw two people carried out of the building on stretchers.
“The first person was unconscious and the other was awake. We sheltered in place for about an hour. Then I left with my dad. The situation was calm.
“There was no sign of a shooter other than the people that had been shot. We were mostly just shocked that this happened … the barbers said this had never happened before [at Brown].”
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Updated at 18.58 EST
Police said no weapons were recovered from the scene and the last sighting of the suspect was him leaving the Hope Street side of the building on foot.
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Updated at 18.53 EST
Suspect described as ‘male dressed in black’
Timothy O’Hara, a deputy police chief, told a press conference that the suspect is a “male dressed in black” who exited the complex at Brown University.
He said it is unknown how the suspect entered the engineering building.
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Updated at 18.54 EST
Two people dead and eight others in critical condition
Two people have died and eight others are in a critical but stable condition in hospital, Providence mayor Brett Smiley said.
He added no suspect is in custody yet over the shooting.
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Updated at 18.39 EST
Brown University has issued a statement confirming “multiple shooting victims”.
It said “we are not able to share their condition,” adding “they have been transported to local hospitals”.
The university said multiple exams were taking place in the Barus & Holley Engineering building in the afternoon.
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Providence Council member John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus, said: “We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant.
“As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”
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‘At least two dead and several others injured’ in shooting
At least two people have been killed and several others injured in the shooting, a law enforcement source told the Associated Press.
The incident is believed to be unfolding near an engineering building on the campus, according to the school’s alert system.
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Kristy DosReis, the city of Providence’s chief public information officer for public safety, declined to provide details on the number of people injured or whether any were killed.
“There have been multiple people shot,” DosReis said.
“It continues to be an active investigation and we are urging people to shelter in place.”
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Updated at 18.15 EST
At 16:22 local time (21:22 GMT) Brown University sent out an urgent alert, warning of an active shooter on campus and urging people to “lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice”.
It also said people should run, evacuate safely if they could, hide or as a last resort they should “fight”.
In his latest update posted on X a few minutes ago, the university said: “Urgent: Situation remains ongoing. Continue to shelter in place. Law enforcement on site. Visit http://brown.edu for updates.”
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Trump rows back statement about suspect in custody
Donald Trump initially said a suspect was in custody but later rowed that back.
He posted on Truth Social that the “FBI is on the scene” of the shooting at Brown University. “I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island. The suspect is in custody. God bless the victims and the families of the victims!”
However, minutes later he wrote: “The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement — The suspect is NOT in custody.”
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Updated at 18.12 EST
Several shot at Brown University
Multiple people have been shot in the area of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday, police said.
The university in New England issued an active-shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.
Police did not immediately release details about the victims’ conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.
Officials initially said a suspect was in custody but later said that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects.
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Updated at 18.03 EST
