Providence, R.I. — What began as a routine Saturday afternoon of study sessions and final exams turned into a nightmare for the Brown University community when gunfire erupted at the Barus & Holley Engineering Building, leaving two students dead and at least nine others wounded and triggering a massive manhunt that, as of now, remains active.
It was just after 4 p.m. when panic broke out inside a classroom on the first floor of the building that houses the School of Engineering and Physics. Students preparing for upcoming exams suddenly found themselves ducking for cover as shots rang out, sending classmates fleeing down hallways or barricading themselves in rooms. Within minutes, Brown’s emergency alert system blared across phones and speakers: “Active shooter near Barus & Holley Engineering — shelter in place, lock doors, remain hidden.”
Junior Max McCord, a student from Pittsburgh, said he was on the phone with his girlfriend just before the chaos began. She called back in a panic, telling him that her younger brother — a freshman at Brown attending a study session — had been shot in the thigh. “He just said he heard shots and then silence,” McCord recalled, his voice shaking. “One second it was normal, the next everyone was running.”
Providence authorities confirmed that two students were killed in the attack. Of the others who were struck by gunfire, several are in critical but stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, while some are listed as stable or suffering from non-life-threatening injuries. The total number of wounded has been reported as nine, though officials cautioned the numbers could change as investigations continue.
Police and university officials have been tight-lipped about the suspect’s identity, but say the person of interest is a male dressed in black who was last seen fleeing on foot from the Hope Street side of the Barus & Holley building. Despite an earlier miscommunication suggesting a suspect was in custody, authorities have since clarified that no arrests have been made, and an extensive search involving local, state and federal agencies — including the FBI and ATF — is underway.
Students and residents near the campus were ordered to stay indoors for hours as officers combed the area, checking buildings and questioning witnesses. For many on campus, the shooting has shattered a sense of safety that is hard to recapture. What was supposed to be a quiet afternoon of exams has become a day marked by grief, confusion and unanswered questions — especially about how someone could bring a weapon into a building where access is controlled but bustling with exam-takers.
In a brief statement, Brown University’s president expressed profound sorrow for the victims and their families, calling the incident “an unimaginable tragedy.” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley echoed those sentiments, urging anyone with information to come forward while promising that the search for the suspect would continue “with every resource available.”
As the community begins the long process of healing and investigation continues, Brown students and staff remain in shock — stunned that an ordinary Saturday could be transformed so violently. For now, questions far outnumber answers, and the hunt for the person responsible goes on.
