Police have person of interest in custody over Brown Univ. shooting that killed 2, wounded 9

Colonel Oscar Perez, Providence Police Chief, confirmed in a press conference that the person in custody was in his 30s and that authorities were not currently searching for anyone else. He declined to say whether the person was connected to the university.

Separately, an FBI agent said the arrest occurred at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Providence. Officers remained on scene there, with police tape blocking off the entrance.

The shooting broke out Saturday afternoon in the engineering building of the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exams. Hundreds of police officers combed the Brown University campus and surrounding neighborhoods and scanned video to pursue the shooter who opened fire in a classroom.

The shooter, armed with a handgun, fired more than 40 9mm rounds, according to a law enforcement official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly, said authorities had not recovered a gun as of Sunday morning, but they did find two magazines loaded with 30 rounds.

University officials on Sunday canceled all classes, exams, papers and projects for the remainder of the fall semester and said students were free to leave. Those who will remain on campus will have access to services and supports, Dean Francis Doyle said in a statement.

“At this time, it is imperative that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to members of our community as we grapple with the grief, fear, and anxiety that affects us all now,” Doyle wrote.

Providence leaders warned that residents will notice a heavy police presence on Sunday. Many local businesses announced they would remain closed and expressed shock and sadness as the community continues to process news of the shooting.

“Everyone is reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us,” Brown University president Christina Paxson said at the news conference. “Our community is strong and we will overcome it, but it is devastating.”

Surveillance video released by police showed a suspect dressed in black calmly walking away from the scene.

Paxson previously said she learned that 10 people who were shot were students. She added that another person was injured by shrapnel from the gunfire, but it was not clear whether the victim was a student.

The search for the shooter paralyzed the campus, and the surrounding neighborhoods filled with stately brick homes and downtown in Rhode Island’s capital until the shelter-in-place order was lifted early Sunday. The streets, usually bustling with activity on weekends, were eerily quiet. Officers wearing tactical gear escorted students from some campus buildings to a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at the shelter on buses without jackets or any belongings.

The mayor advised people to stay at home

Investigators did not immediately know how the shooter got into the first-floor classroom. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the building’s exterior doors were locked but rooms used for final exams required badge access.

Smiley was emotional as he discussed the city’s efforts to prepare for a mass shooting.

“We all knew, intellectually, that this could happen anywhere, including here, but this is not the same as what is happening in our community, and so this is an incredibly disturbing and emotional time for Providence, for Brown, and for all of us,” he said. “It’s not something we have to train for, but we did.”

Nine people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was in critical condition. Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Brennan said that six of them needed intensive care, but their condition was not worsening, while two were in stable condition.

Exams were underway during filming

Engineering design tests were underway when the shooting occurred at the Parros and Holley Building, a seven-story complex that houses the College of Engineering and the Department of Physics. The building includes more than 100 laboratories and dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud popping noises coming from the east side. Once she realized they were gunshots, she bolted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she took shelter for several hours.

The former “Survivor” contestant just left the building

Eva Eriksson, a doctoral student who was runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before the shots rang out.

The engineering and thermal sciences student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s first openly autistic contestant. She was locked in a campus gym after the shooting, and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present had been safely evacuated.

Alex Bruce, a biochemistry student at Brown University, was working on a final research project in his dorm directly across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside.

“I’m here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as armed officers surrounded his residence.

Students hid under desks

Qianheng Chen, an engineering doctoral student who was a block away from the scene, said students in a nearby lab turned off the lights and hid under desks after receiving an alert about the shooting.

Mary Camara, 20, a third-year student from New York City, was exiting the library and running inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.

“Everyone, like me, is shocked and terrified that something like this could happen,” she said.

Brown University, the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges with approximately 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Tuition, housing and other fees amount to approximately $100,000 annually, according to the university.