PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Dec 14: Two people were killed and several others wounded after a shooting broke out near the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exam season, local authorities said. The incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon, sending shockwaves through the Ivy League community and prompting a campus wide lockdown, Al Jazeera reported.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that two people died at the scene, while eight others were taken to Rhode Island Hospital with critical but stable injuries. Emergency services were alerted around 4:05 pm local time after a 911 call reported an active shooter near the university grounds, according to statements cited by Al Jazeera.
Officials said the suspect fled the scene on foot and had not been apprehended by Saturday evening. Police described the suspect as a man dressed in black. No weapon had been recovered, and authorities warned that details could change as the investigation continued, Al Jazeera noted.
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Mayor Smiley said victim identities had not been released as families were still being notified. He urged patience, stressing that the situation remained fluid in the early hours after the attack. The city, he said, was bracing for a long recovery period following the violence, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Brown University President Christina Paxton described the shooting as devastating for the campus and surrounding community. In a written statement, she asked students and staff to remain alert and strictly follow lockdown procedures, including staying indoors and limiting movement across campus, according to Al Jazeera coverage.
The shooting occurred while exams were in progress. University officials said test sessions were scheduled between 2 pm and 5 pm on Saturday. Brown had wrapped up classes earlier in the week and was in the middle of its final examination period, Al Jazeera said.
Commenting on the broader context, Al Jazeera correspondent Patty Culhane said active shooter drills have become routine across US schools and universities. She explained that students are trained to follow the “Avoid, Deny, Defend” approach, a safety guideline taught nationwide, Al Jazeera reported.
Gun violence remains a frequent threat in the United States. Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows that at least 389 mass shootings have been recorded this year. The group defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the attacker, Al Jazeera cited.
Schools remain a recurring site of such violence. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been 154 incidents of gunfire on school campuses in 2025 alone, resulting in 49 deaths and 135 injuries, figures highlighted by Al Jazeera.
Brown University, founded in 1764, is the seventh oldest university in the US and enrolls more than 11,000 students. The attack has renewed concerns over campus safety at elite institutions once seen as insulated from such violence, Al Jazeera observed.
Governor Dan McKee said he had contacted the White House and other state leaders who have faced similar tragedies. He pledged full support to local authorities as investigations continued, according to Al Jazeera.
President Donald Trump also reacted to the shooting, calling it a terrible event and urging people to pray for the victims and the Brown University community, Al Jazeera reported.
