Authorities say a person of interest has been identified in the Brown University classroom shooting; the search is active and investigators are exploring possible links to another fatal shooting in the region.
After several days of confusing and often incomplete briefings, law enforcement now says a person of interest has been identified and is being sought in connection with the fatal classroom shooting at Brown University. The attack occurred December 13 inside the Barus & Holley engineering building during final exams, leaving two students dead and nine others wounded. Initial reports described a male suspect who fled the building on foot in an area where security cameras were limited.
A person of interest has been identified in the deadly mass shooting at Brown University, multiple sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News on Thursday.
Law enforcement has identified a person, and a search for that individual is underway, the sources said.
Two students were killed and nine more were wounded when the gunman opened fire Saturday afternoon inside a classroom on the Ivy League university’s campus in Providence, Rhode Island, authorities said. The shooting occurred in the school’s Barus & Holley engineering building during final exams.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police said a male suspect had managed to escape from the building. In the hours and days that followed, police and the FBI released images and videos of the man they described as a person of interest walking around a nearby neighborhood several hours before the first 911 calls reporting the shooting came in.
The person in the images wore black clothing and a face mask. None of the footage pictured him clearly.
Right now the man has not been publicly identified, so the community is left to rely on law enforcement updates and the fragments they release. That uncertainty has been magnified by officials who frequently answered questions with “I don’t know” instead of clear information. The mixed messaging has frustrated survivors, parents, and neighbors watching authorities try to stitch together a fast-moving investigation.
Authorities previously arrested a separate person of interest in the hours after the shooting and later released that individual; investigators say they continue to follow leads. Witnesses reported the shooter shouted something before opening fire, and while officials have declined to confirm the phrase, numerous witnesses said it was “Allahu Akbar.” How the attacker accessed the classroom remains under review.
The university, local police, and state officials have received repeated criticism for the handling of public updates and the campus response. Christina Paxson, Brown’s president, was unable to provide detailed answers on questions about the campus camera system and the timing and content of alerts to students. State Attorney General Peter Neronha and the local police chief also faced tough questioning about investigative steps, and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged fatigue in the aftermath of the crisis.
With an armed suspect still reportedly at large, many residents have demanded clearer steps from campus and city leaders to reassure public safety. Statements meant to calm the community instead raised more questions about timelines, evidence, and whether critical records, including roster or staff information, were modified during the probe. That confusion has complicated a grieving process for the campus at a time when families and classmates need straightforward updates.
This is a breaking news story. We’ll keep you updated.
UPDATE: Is there a connection to the MIT professor who was shot and killed at his home on December 15?
On December 15, MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro was shot at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts; he was taken to the hospital and died the following morning. FBI Boston initially said there was no link between that shooting and the attack at Brown, but sources now indicate investigators from both probes have compared notes and found enough overlap to merit closer scrutiny. Loureiro taught in MIT’s nuclear science and engineering and physics departments, and authorities are examining any contacts or movements that might connect the cases.
Officials report that all nine people hit in the Brown classroom shooting are expected to survive, and three victims have already been discharged from care. Medical updates indicate recovery is underway for the injured, but families and classmates remain shaken as investigators continue to search for the person of interest and gather forensic evidence from the scene.
As the search continues, investigators will focus on surveillance, digital traces, witness timelines, and any possible connections to other recent attacks in the region. The probe is active and evolving, and law enforcement has urged anyone with new information to come forward so they can close gaps in the timeline and accelerate the search.
