2 Dead, 8 Critical in Shooting at US Ivy League School

AFP/APP

New York: A gunman killed two people and critically wounded eight others on Saturday afternoon at prestigious Brown University, authorities said, urging people in the area to remain in lockdown as the attacker was still at large.

“I can confirm that there are two individuals who have died this afternoon, and there are another eight in critical status, though stable,” Providence, Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley told a news conference.

The shooting took place at the Barus and Holley building, home to the engineering and physics departments, on the campus of the Ivy League university. Multiple exams had been scheduled in the building at the time of the incident, the university said.

Law enforcement described the suspect as a man dressed entirely in black.

“We’re utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect. The shelter-in-place order is still in effect and I urge people to take that very seriously. Please do not come to the area,” Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said.

Authorities said the gunman was last seen leaving the building and no weapon had been recovered.

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Brown University issued an emergency alert at 4:22 pm (2122 GMT), reporting “an active shooter near Barus and Holley Engineering.”

“Lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice,” the alert said.

Law enforcement officers and first responders swarmed the scene, with local news station WPRI reporting clothing and blood visible on the sidewalk.

The FBI was providing “all capabilities necessary,” Director Kash Patel said on X. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also responding.

Katie Sun, a student, told the Brown Daily Herald she was studying in a nearby building when she heard gunfire and ran back to her dorm, leaving her belongings behind.

“It was honestly quite terrifying. The shots seemed like they were coming from where the classrooms are,” she said.

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting.

“What a terrible thing it is,” he said. “All we can do right now is pray for the victims.”

Brown University, located in Providence near Boston, has about 11,000 students.

The shooting is the latest in a long line of school attacks in the United States, where efforts to restrict easy access to firearms continue to face political deadlock.