Providence, R.I. — A quiet end‑of‑semester afternoon at Brown University turned into tragedy last Saturday when gunfire erupted in an engineering building, killing two students and wounding nine others. Hours later, 24‑year‑old Wisconsin native Benjamin Erickson was taken into custody as a person of interest in the attack that shocked the Ivy League campus.
It was just after 4 p.m. on December 13 when chaos broke out inside the Barus & Holley building, where a final exam review session was underway. Eyewitnesses described a man dressed in dark clothing bursting into the crowded classroom, firing multiple shots and shouting before fleeing the scene. Panic swept the room as students ducked under desks and scrambled for exits.
By that night, Brown University had issued an active shooter alert and locked down parts of its Providence campus. Professors, staff and emergency responders urged students to shelter in place as police canvassed surrounding streets and combed through video footage. Hours later, authorities tracked a man matching the description to a hotel about 15 miles from the university, where Erickson was taken into custody.
Officials have been cautious about details, repeatedly referring to Erickson as a person of interest without formally naming him a suspect or announcing charges. Law enforcement recovered two firearms in his possession at the time of arrest — including a handgun fitted with a laser sight — but have not yet outlined a motive.
The deaths of two students has left the Brown community reeling. Nine others remain hospitalized, with at least one in critical condition. University leaders canceled the rest of the semester’s exams and classes, and have mobilized counseling and support services for students, faculty and families affected by the violence.
Scenes from campus over the past few days have been somber: makeshift memorials near the Barus & Holley building, tearful vigils, and long lines at support centers. Friends and classmates describe their classmates as bright, promising young people whose futures were violently interrupted.
In the hours after the shooting, the FBI and local law enforcement worked together, using geolocation technology and coordinated search teams to track Erickson down. Even as his connection to the crime remains under investigation, his arrest has brought a measure of relief to a community still trying to understand how such a tragedy could strike a quiet corner of campus during one of the busiest weeks of the academic year.
