Image: from Franco X@GeraldSwazo
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A day of final exams at Brown University turned into a scene of horror and chaos Saturday afternoon, as a shooting in the School of Engineering building left at least two people dead and eight injured, according to Providence city officials.
The injured victims were transported to local hospitals and were reported to be in critical but stable condition. The Ivy League institution immediately issued an active shooter alert, plunging the campus into lockdown as police and federal agents swarmed the area in search of a suspect who remains at large.
Brown University shooter update 6:37 pm 2 dead, 8 in critical condition 😧😱 pic.twitter.com/Ax3h2Z6ECs
— Jackson2244 (@PatriotWoman22) December 13, 2025
Search Underway as Campus Shelters in Place
The first 911 call came in around 4:05 p.m., reporting shots fired near the Barus & Holley building, a multi-story complex on the campus’s east side that houses the university’s School of Engineering. Final exams for the fall semester were underway in the building, which also contains over 100 laboratories and dozens of classrooms.
Initial university alerts indicated a suspect was in custody, but that information was quickly retracted. Subsequent alerts urged students and staff to remain sheltered in place, lock their doors, silence their phones, and stay hidden.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed the casualties in a Saturday evening news conference, stating that the situation remained an active investigation. The suspect is described by police as a male dressed in black. Law enforcement searched the engineering building but did not locate the individual.
“Sadly, today is a day the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come,” Mayor Smiley said.
Community in Shock
The immediate aftermath saw heavy police presence, including officers in tactical gear, securing the area. The FBI confirmed it was assisting the response alongside city and campus police. Students in adjacent buildings, like the science library, were pictured hunkering down at their study tables as police cleared the area.
Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus, expressed his profound sorrow. “As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”
President Donald Trump confirmed he had been briefed on the tragedy, offering his condolences on social media: “God bless the victims and the families of the victims!”
Brown University, a private institution with over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, remained in a state of high alert late into the evening as the search for the shooter intensified. Officials cautioned that information was preliminary as they worked to identify the deceased and injured victims and piece together the circumstances of the brutal attack during the critical final examination period.