A chaotic investigation unfolded after a deadly shooting at Brown University left two students dead and multiple others wounded, with a briefly detained person of interest released as authorities continue to search for the actual shooter.
The campus and surrounding community remain on edge after a shooter opened fire inside Brown University’s Barus and Holley building. Early accounts reported two students killed and eight more injured, while later official statements referenced nine people wounded, reflecting how details can shift in a fast-moving scene. Federal and local law enforcement have mobilized resources to piece together what happened and to locate the suspect still at large.
Authorities detained a 24-year-old Wisconsin man, Benjamin Warner, early Sunday morning as a person of interest, then released him after investigators said the evidence did not hold up. Warner’s name circulated widely on social media and in early news reports; the rush to assign culpability raised real concerns about the toll on someone who was ultimately released. The case highlights how quickly suspicion can spread before facts are confirmed.
Investigators described an intensive effort to collect cellphone location data, canvass for video, and gather footage from nearby businesses and residents to reconstruct the timeline. FBI teams and local law enforcement are working side by side to corroborate leads and check digital evidence. Officials have emphasized that preliminary indications can change as more information comes in, which complicates public understanding and coverage.
Officials said Sunday they are releasing the person of interest that was earlier taken into custody in connection with the shooting at Brown University. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said there was “some degree of evidence” that pointed to a 24-year-old Wisconsin man that authorities detained Sunday morning. “But that evidence needed to be corroborated and confirmed, and over the last 24 hours leading into just very, very recently, that evidence now points in a different direction,” he said.
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The investigation: Federal agents detained a person of interest at a Hampton Inn hotel roughly 20 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island, law enforcement officials said. FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the bureau has also dispatched teams who can analyze cellphone location data near the shooting, and canvass for video recordings captured by local businesses and residents.
The shooting: A gunman opened fire Saturday afternoon inside Brown University’s Barus and Holley engineering and physics building, killing at least two students and injuring nine others.
The victims: All are students, Brown University President Christina Paxson said. Officials have not yet been able to notify all the families of the victims in the shooting, the Providence mayor said, because some of the family members have been traveling. Authorities will not share identifying information until they’ve told all the families, the mayor added.
Their injuries: One Brown University student has been discharged from the hospital, another is in critical but stable condition, and seven others are in stable condition, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley (D) said after he met with some of the students in the hospital on Sunday.
Campus leaders and city officials faced tough questions about communications and response steps as families waited for word. University administrators confirmed the victims are students and stressed the need to notify families before releasing names, a standard but painful part of managing such a crisis. Those logistical choices have consequences for grieving relatives and for the public’s hunger for information.
Eyewitness reports varied, and students described a scene of confusion as shelter-in-place orders were issued and emergency responders arrived. Hospitals in the area treated multiple injured students and worked to stabilize those in critical condition. One student has already been discharged, while others remain hospitalized in a range of conditions.
The episode has also prompted reflection about the speed of online judgment and the risk of amplifying unverified claims. The man who was detained saw his name and background circulated widely before investigators stepped back and said the evidence needed corroboration. That dynamic can complicate investigations and unfairly damage reputations even when a person is cleared.
Law enforcement says the investigative work is painstaking and methodical: collecting camera footage, tracing location data, interviewing witnesses, and following physical evidence. These steps take time and often result in new leads or the need to discard earlier assumptions. Authorities continue to appeal for any video or tips that might help them identify and locate the shooter.
Community leaders are urging calm while promising transparency as the probe advances, though full answers may take days or longer. As investigators sort through digital and physical evidence, the priority remains finding whoever carried out the attack and ensuring campus safety. In the meantime, students and families are left to process grief, fear, and the uncertainty that follows a violent, public crime.
