Brown University shooting: Police release video of ‘person of interest’ as manhunt continues

Two people were killed and nine others wounded after a shooter opened fire at Brown University on Saturday afternoon in a building on campus where exams were taking place, according to Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Brett Smiley and university officials.

A massive manhunt was underway for the gunman, described as wearing dark clothing. Hours after the shooting, people living on and near the Ivy League campus remained on lockdown and were urged to stay inside with their doors locked.  

Following a news conference late Saturday night, officials released a video showing a “person of interest” leaving the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building after the shooting and urged anyone with information to share it with authorities.

“The unthinkable has happened,” a somber Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee told reporters at an earlier news conference, pledging support for local authorities and the families of the victims.

He later told reporters he had spoken to President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel.

“We’re going to make sure that we catch the individual that brought so much suffering to so many people,” McKee said.

What we know about the shooting

The tragedy began unfolding around 4:05 p.m. when police received a call from Brown University about an active shooter incident near the engineering building. The university alerted students and faculty to shelter in place shortly after.

“There’s an active shooter near Barus & Holley Engineering. Lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice,” the notice said.

The university said multiple exams were scheduled in the engineering building from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

During the news conference late Saturday night, Providence Police Department Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara said the shooting occurred inside a first-floor classroom, but officials could not say whether the victims were attending an exam.

An official briefed on the investigation earlier told ABC News that preliminary information indicates that the shooting occurred in a classroom where a study group was taking place.

Video of person of interest

Authorities have released video of a “person of interest” leaving the scene of the shooting at the engineering building.

In the video, the person is seen exiting the engineering building, wearing dark clothing, authorities said. His face is not visible.

The suspected shooter was also seen by eyewitnesses escaping on foot after through the Hope Street exit, police said. Some of the witnesses have told police that the suspect may have been wearing a camouflage mask, but the official said that hasn’t been confirmed.

Police said it was unknown how the suspect entered the building, but the doors were unlocked because exams were taking place.

Police have not provided any information about the firearm that was used in the shooting, and said the weapon was not immediately recovered.

The FBI has launched a website for people to share tips, including photos and videos at FBI.gov/BrownUniversityShooting.

‘Deeply tragic day for Brown’

The nine wounded victims were being treated at Rhode Island Hospital.

Of those wounded, one person was in critical condition; six people were in critical but stable condition; and two people were in stable condition, according to the hospital.

Initially, officials said eight people were wounded in the attack, but said at a news conference later Saturday night that a ninth person wounded in the shooting did not suffer a gunshot wound but was struck by fragments and went to the hospital later.

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday night, Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said she was told the initial victims were all students of the university, but said she wasn’t sure if the ninth person who was wounded is a student.

In an earlier letter to the school community, Paxson called the victims “community members.”

“This is a deeply tragic day for Brown, our families and our local community,” she wrote in the letter. “There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building.”

Campus remains on lockdown

Hours after the shooting, the campus area remained on lockdown and students were told to keep doors locked and not move around the campus.

Over 400 officers were in the area, either assisting with the investigation or ensuring the safety of the community, the mayor said.

Authorities also established a perimeter around part of the campus area. Students in dorms and residential housing within that area should continue to shelter in place, the university said. Others, sheltering in administrative buildings at the time of the shooting, will be escorted out of the perimeter area by law enforcement, the university said.

“We know our community wants answers, and we will provide them as soon as we can,” the university president said in the earlier letter. “For now, please know we are doing all we can to keep our community safe and have mobilized support for the students and their families.”

She ended her letter, writing: “This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us.” 

Earlier in the day, Trump said he was briefed about the shooting, and said the FBI was on the scene.

“What a terrible thing it is, and all we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt,” Trump told reporters later Saturday evening. “It’s a shame.”

The situation remained fluid, with the university later clarifying key details about the incident.

The school initially posted an update shortly after the shooting, saying a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case.

The mayor said that there was initially an individual who was “preliminarily thought to be involved,” but authorities later determined that person was not a suspect.

At about 5:30 p.m., the university said there was a report of a secondary shooting a few blocks away from the engineering building near Governor Street, but the university later said that report was unfounded.

Investigators urged anyone with information related to the shooting to call the police.

-ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud and Emily Chang contributed to this report.