Brown University Shooting Suspect Still at Large After Person of Interest Released

The search for the gunman who killed two Brown University students and wounded nine others during a Saturday afternoon shooting continues as authorities released new surveillance footage of the suspect Monday, a day after releasing a person of interest in the case. The attack occurred during final exams in Brown University's Barus & Holley engineering building, sending the Ivy League campus into chaos as hundreds of federal and local law enforcement officers searched for the shooter. Students and staff were ordered to shelter in place for hours as the lockdown stretched into the night. Providence police released three videos Monday showing the suspected gunman wearing a mask and a dark two-tone jacket. The footage, captured approximately two hours before the shooting, provided the clearest images yet of the suspect who authorities believe carried out the attack. The investigation took a significant turn Sunday night when authorities announced they would release a person of interest who had been detained at a Rhode Island hotel. The 24-year-old man from Wisconsin was initially taken into custody early Sunday morning, but officials said the investigation had taken them in a "different direction." "We have a murderer out there," State Attorney General Peter Neronha acknowledged during a hastily convened late Sunday news conference, highlighting the seriousness of the ongoing situation. The shooting began Saturday afternoon when gunshots erupted in the engineering building during what should have been a routine day of final exams. Tristan Keyser-Parker, a senior who was in a workshop inside the building, heard someone yell "Intruder!" before sprinting with about 30 other students out a side entrance as police converged on the scene. At 4:22 p.m., campus cellphones received an alert warning of an "active shooter near Barus & Holley Engineering" and instructing students to "lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice." Terrified students fled to safety, with many huddling for hours inside barricaded campus buildings. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez initially described the detained person as being in their 30s but later corrected this, saying they were in their 20s. However, after extensive investigation, authorities determined they could not find sufficient evidence connecting the individual to the shooting. The release of the person of interest represents a stunning setback in the investigation and has raised fresh concerns about public safety. Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged that officials have no way of knowing if the attacker is still in Providence, stating, "We know that this is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community." The FBI has joined the investigation, with Director Kash Patel confirming that federal investigators had initially found the person of interest in a town near Providence. However, the lack of evidence ultimately led to their release. Brown University Provost Francis J. Doyle announced that any remaining classes, exams, or projects for the Fall 2025 semester would not take place as scheduled, reflecting the profound impact the tragedy has had on the campus community. The attack has rattled the Ivy League institution and the surrounding Providence neighborhoods, with the campus community still grappling with the reality that the perpetrator remains unidentified and potentially at large. As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward while working to provide additional security measures for the campus.