Two people dead and eight others in critical condition
Two people have died and eight others are in a critical but stable condition in hospital, Providence mayor Brett Smiley said.
He added no suspect is in custody yet over the shooting.
Key events
Providence mayor Brett Smiley has held what he says is the final news update of the evening, just before midnight local time.
Smiley referenced the security footage released by law enforcement, that they believe shows the suspect. “We know there is no clear shot of the face,” he said.
It’s being reported that some students are being escorted off the campus, but for many others, the shelter in place orders remain in affect, hours after the shooting took place.
Local officials release video of suspected shooter
Local officials have released a video of the suspected shooter, leaving the Barus and Holley building on Brown University’s campus.
The surveillance footage reveals very little of the identity of the suspect, other than confirming Providence deputy police chief Timothy O’Hara’s comments that he was dressed in black.
“It’s of who we believe is the suspect leaving that area walking on Hope Street and taking a right on Waterman. He’s going to be wearing dark clothing. You are not going to be able to see his face,” O’Hara said during a media briefing in the last few hours.
Police and FBI officials continue to patrol the area surrounding Brown University.
Officials have said there are 400 officers searching for the suspect, hours after the shooting was first reported.
We’re expecting to soon see footage of the suspect, which law enforcement said would be released after their latest media briefing wrapped up, more than 30 minutes ago.
Local officials have said that the shelter in place order is only for Brown’s campus and the surrounding neighbourhood.
“We have no reason to believe that there is any particular threat beyond the campus area,” Providence mayor Brett Smiley has said.
New details of suspected shooter released
Officials have said they are looking for a male dressed in black and are releasing a video of the suspect, who deputy police chief Timothy O’Hara says may have been wearing a mask.
He said officials had retrieved shell casings from the scene of the shooting, but that police were not prepared to release details.
“The individual responsible is still at large,” Providence mayor Brett Smiley told reporters, while O’Hara confirmed the suspect had not been identified, but was male and could be in his 30s.
Local officials have now ended the media briefing, but promised there will be further updates tonight.
Meanwhile, emergency personnel continue to cordon off the crime scene, escort students to safe buildings and search for the shooter. Here are some of the latest images from the scene.
Providence’s deputy chief of police Timothy O’Hara has said that a weapon has not been found and searches for the suspect are ongoing.
O’Hara says he is working the federal agencies in the manhunt, but there remain a lot of unanswered questions.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has said it’s not known where the shooter is still in the local area.
Brown University president Christina Paxson has said it was the day that she hoped “would never happen.”
Speaking to the media, she appeared to confirm that the two people killed – as well as the nine injured – were all students.
A video of the suspect will be made public during the press conference, Smiley has said.
The Providence mayor has said he has no reason to believe there there are additional threats related to the shooting.
Rhode Island governor Daniel McKee has said he has spoken to FBI director Kash Patel, as well as Donald Trump, who both offered assistance in the investigation.
Shooter remains at large, Providence mayor says
The suspect remains at large, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has said, adding that the situation is “evolving” as he addresses the media. The shelter in place order remains in place.
Another person has been delcared injured in the attack, Smiley has said. The injuries are not life threatening, but they are now the ninth person known to have been injured.
Streets around the Brown University campus remain blocked off hours after the shooting, as police continue their manhunt.
Law enforcement officials heightened security levels around the city. We’re expecting an update from local officials at any moment now.
Zohran Mamdani, New York’s mayor-elect, has noted that tomorrow – 14 December – is the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, which saw 20 children and six adults killed at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.
“We find ourselves in mourning once again,” Mamdani said.
The epidemic of gun violence stretches across America. We reckon with it when we step into our houses of worship and out onto our streets, when we drop our children off at kindergarten and when we fear if those children, now grown, will be safe on campus.”
But unlike so many other epidemics, we possess the cure. We have the power to eradicate this suffering from our lives if we so choose.”
Two people were killed this evening at Brown University by a gunman who remains at large. Eight others are injured, fighting for their lives in a nearby hospital. This senseless violence—once considered unfathomable—has become nauseatingly normal to all of us across our nation.…
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 14, 2025
Local officials will reportedly be holding another media briefing at 9.30pm local time, just under 25 minutes from now.
Summary
Two people have been killed and several more critically injured in a shooting at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. Here’s what we know so far:
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A shooter dressed in black killed at least two people and wounded eight others at Brown University during final exams on the Ivy League campus. As of 8pm local time – more than three hours after the shooting – the suspect remained at large.
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Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said two people had been killed, but he could not yet disclose details about the victims, including whether they were students. Smiley said a shelter-in-place was in effect for the area and encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside and not to return home until it was lifted.
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Eight people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where six were in critical but stable condition, according to Kelly Brennan, a spokesperson for the hospital. Another was in critical condition and one was stable, she said.
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University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects. The mayor said a person preliminarily thought to be involved was detained but was later determined to have no involvement.
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President Donald Trump told reporters that he had been briefed on the shooting and “all we can do right now is pray for the victims.” Earlier he claimed a suspect was in custody before rowing back on that statement and confirming the shooter was still at large.
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The shooting occurred in the Barus + Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices. Brown, one of the America’s most prestigious colleges, has roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students.
The manhunt for the shooter has been complicated by large crowds in downtown Providence, local media are reporting, with a large number of holiday shoppers and thousands of people attending concerts.
Federal law enforcement and police from surrounding cities and towns were assisting in the search.
The Providence Place mall has reportedly been closed due to the ongoing search, according to an employee from the centre who spoke to local media.
Brown’s president, Christina Paxson, added in a later update that the campus continued to be in lockdown.
“It is imperative that all members of our community remain sheltered in place. This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus.”
“The law enforcement response remains ongoing. Safety is the utmost and essential priority.”
Christina Paxson, Brown’s president, said in a message to students that it was a “deeply tragic day”.
We know our community wants answers, and we will provide them as soon as we can. 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.”
