In a dramatic reversal, law enforcement officials announced Sunday night they will release the only individual detained in connection with the Brown University shooting that left two students dead and nine injured. The decision came after authorities determined insufficient evidence existed to continue holding the person.
The development represents a significant setback in the investigation into Saturday’s violence that erupted at the Ivy League campus during final exam preparations. Officials had initially believed they made a breakthrough when apprehending a suspect at a Rhode Island hotel, only to have their investigative progress unravel hours later.
While multiple U.S. media outlets identified the detained individual as 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson, a former U.S. Army infantryman who served from 2021 to 2024, military officials confirmed to Reuters they could not verify whether he was indeed the person taken into custody. Erickson had achieved the rank of specialist but was never deployed during his military service.
With no current suspects in custody, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez pledged intensified investigative efforts, emphasizing the collection of surveillance footage and physical evidence. ‘We’re in the process of collecting evidence and seizing items that we need to seize, search locations that we need to search,’ Chief Perez stated.
The shooting occurred approximately at 4 p.m. Saturday within the Barus and Holley building, which contains engineering and physics classrooms and laboratories. According to law enforcement sources, the assailant discharged more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun inside an engineering classroom.
In response to the tragedy, Brown University canceled all remaining academic activities for the semester, including classes, examinations, and projects. President Donald Trump characterized the incident as ‘a terrible thing’ while extending his ‘deepest regards and respect’ to grieving families and wishes for recovery to the wounded.
On Sunday evening, the Providence community transformed a scheduled holiday celebration into a vigil honoring the victims. Mayor Brett Smiley reflected on the significance of gathering during Hanukkah, noting ‘if we can come together as a community to shine a little bit of light tonight, there’s nothing better that we can be doing.’