Rhode Island authorities announced Sunday night the release of a man previously detained as a person of interest in the Brown University mass shooting that resulted in two student fatalities and nine injuries. The decision marks a significant pivot in the investigation just days after the tragic incident rocked the prestigious Ivy League campus.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez had initially confirmed the apprehension of a man in his 20s during a midday press conference, but provided scarce details regarding the detention. The turnaround came hours later when Providence Mayor Brett Smiley joined state officials in announcing the individual’s release, indicating the investigation had progressed in a “different direction.”
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha clarified that while initial evidence justified the detention, subsequent investigation revealed “no basis to believe that he’s a person of interest.” Authorities confirmed they continue to pursue an unidentified individual captured in surveillance footage near the engineering building where the shooting occurred.
The shooting unfolded Saturday in Brown’s Barus Holley engineering and physics building during final examinations, with outer doors reportedly left unlocked. Witness accounts describe sudden gunfire that sent students scrambling for safety, with some taking shelter in nearby apartments while others endured five-hour lockdowns.
University President Christina Paxson confirmed nearly all victims were students, canceling remaining exams and classes for the year. The campus remained quiet Sunday under a blanket of light snow as the community grappled with the tragedy—one of nearly 400 mass shootings recorded in the United States this year according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Despite the ongoing manhunt, authorities lifted shelter-in-place orders for the campus and surrounding community Sunday. Mayor Smiley encouraged residents to attend a previously scheduled holiday tree lighting ceremony, noting “if we can come together as a community and shine a little bit of light tonight, I think there’s nothing better that we could be doing.”