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Brown University shooter at large: ‘Camouflage gray mask, in his 30s’ | What we know so far
The suspect in Brown University shooting is "male and could be in his 30s,” Providence police said. “He was dressed in black,” he added.
Authorities in United States' Providence, Rhode Island, launched a manhunt following a deadly shooting at Brown University that left two people dead and eight critically injured, officials said.
According to reports from news agencies Associated Press and Reuters, streets around the Ivy League university's campus remained blocked hours after the incident, as law enforcement heightened security throughout the city.
The shooting occurred inside a classroom in Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building, where final exams were underway. However, little detail is available in the public domain at the moment about the suspect.
What we know about Brown University shooter
According to deputy police chief Timothy O’Hara, as cited by AP, the suspect is a male in his 30s who may have been wearing a camouflage gray mask, based on witness reports.
“The suspect is male and could be in his 30s,” O’Hara said. “He was dressed in black and last seen leaving the engineering building,” he added.
Earlier, a person preliminarily thought to be involved was detained but later cleared of any connection to the incident, the AP report further said.
A report by Bloomberg said that no weapon has been recovered so far. Officials told reporters that police are reviewing local surveillance footage to better identify the suspect, who escaped on foot after the shooting.
Brown University Provost Francis J Doyle III noted that while most campus buildings require card access after hours, heavy foot traffic during exams may have contributed to the chaos.
Donald Trump says ‘all we can do is pray’
US President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, said he had been briefed on the situation, calling the incident “terrible".
He added, “All we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt,” reported AP.
Meanwhile, Brown University President confirmed that two of the victims were students.
The Providence mayor said there is no reason to believe there are any additional threats related to the shooting.
Notably, mass shootings in schools, workplaces, and places of worship occur more frequently in the US than in most developed countries, in part due to permissive gun laws.
The Gun Violence Archive, cited by Reuters, which defines mass shootings as incidents in which four or more victims are shot, has recorded 389 so far this year in the US, including at least six at schools. Last year, the country saw over 500 mass shootings.
