A quiet winter afternoon at Brown University turned into hours of fear and uncertainty after gunshots rang out on campus, forcing students to hide in darkened rooms as police launched a massive manhunt for the attacker.Shortly after an emergency alert warned of an active shooter, students across the Ivy League campus in Providence were ordered to shelter in place.
“We closed the door, had the lights off, and went under desks,” the New York Times quoted Chiang-Heng Chien, a doctoral student saying. They remained in darkness for hours just a block from the Barus & Holley building, where an unidentified attacker killed two people and injured at least nine others, with police saying the gunfire erupted inside a first-floor classroom in the engineering complex.Within minutes, sirens, flashing lights and helicopters filled the area. Armed officers in tactical gear fanned out across streets lined with Victorian homes, while ambulances and armoured vehicles blocked roads. More than 400 law enforcement personnel were deployed as the search stretched into the night.“We don’t know where we’re supposed to go now,” Chien said after hours of hiding, adding, “We brought nothing with us.”Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee called the incident “a nightmare,” echoing the shock felt across campus. As the shelter-in-place order continued and the gunman remained at large, students and residents were left grappling with the sudden violence that shattered the university’s calm.For students preparing for final exams, the routine stress of studying gave way to confusion and fear. Many said they relied on social media for updates, only to encounter conflicting information about whether a suspect had been caught. Officials later clarified that no shooter was in custody.FBI released a footage of the suspect and urged people to contact the authorities if they find him somewhere.“Help find this Person of Interest. If you have any information, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or http://tips.fbi.gov,” the agency said.
