At least two people have lost their lives and nine more have been seriously injured in a shooting that took place this Saturday at Brown University, in Providence, in the state of Rhode Island, near Bostonas reported by the institution itself.
“We are very sorry to report that we have confirmed the deaths of two victims of the shooting at the Barus & Holley Engineering Building. There are eight more victims in critical but stable condition in the hospital. The confinement order is maintained“, the university reported in a publication on its account on the social network X.
Six of the injured remain in serious condition, although stable, while one is in critical condition and two other patients are already stabilized, as reported by the hospital to CNN.
Moments earlier, Providence Police had reported the presence of an active shooter, as well as “multiple shots fired in the area of Brown University.” “Active investigation. Please seek shelter and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police announced on the same social network.
The same police force initially reported – also through social networks – of “shots fired near Governor Street“, urging residents of the area to remain “in the shelters.” “Stay away. “The security forces are responding,” they indicated.
The perimeter of the university campus has been confined under the imperative that “all members of the community remain sheltered in their homes (…) while the police response continues.”
“Close doors, silence phones and hide until further notice. Remember: run if you are in the affected area, evacuate if you can and hide if evacuation is not possible,” concluded the educational institution, which has rectified previous information about the arrest of a suspicious person. “The Police do not have any suspects in custody and the search continues,” he said.
The main suspect as the perpetrator of the shooting remains at large, since “although at some point the DPS was informed that there was a person in custody, after interrogation it was determined that he was not the suspect in the shooting,” the university’s alert system explained.
The Providence Police Department has shared a video on its social networks, obtained from a surveillance camera, in which a “person of interest” is seen walking near the scene of the shooting from behind.
“This is who we believe is the suspect, who leaves that area walking along Hope Street and turns right on Waterman. He will be wearing dark clothing. You will not see his face,” Providence Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara described in statements reported by CNN.
The person who appears in the images, in fact, is a man dressed in dark clothing, whose description matches the testimonies of the first eyewitnesses interviewed, who have estimated that the man could be about 30 years old.
Local authorities have established contacts with both President Donald Trump and the FBI to request reinforcements for the ongoing investigation and have set up a telephone number with which they can contact if they have information about the event.
For its part, the FBI has set up a specific website for the case to which citizens can upload images and videos in which the suspect may appear.
