Brown University placed its police chief on leave on Monday, more than a week after a mass shooting on 13 December that killed two students and wounded nine others. President Christina Paxson said the leave is part of a standard, campus-wide review of the response and safety policies. Authorities identified a suspect six days after the attack as 48-year-old Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente, who was later found dead in a Salem, New Hampshire storage facility. The US Department of Education has also opened a review of Brown’s handling of the incident.
Key takeaways
- The shooting occurred on 13 December in a building used for engineering and physics programs; the shooter fired at least 44 rounds, according to police reports.
- Two students were killed: Ella Cook, 19, a second-year from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, an Uzbek-American first-year student.
- Nine additional people were injured in the campus attack; the count of wounded is based on official university and law-enforcement statements.
- Police chief Rodney Chatman was placed on leave “effective immediately,” the university president announced on Monday as part of an institutional review.
- Investigators identified Claudio Neves Valente as the suspect six days after the shooting; Valente was later found dead in Salem, New Hampshire.
- Officials say they also believe Valente killed an MIT professor two days after the Brown attack; a motive has not been released.
- The US Department of Education has launched a review of Brown’s response and campus safety measures.
- President Paxson stated the campus operates about 1,200 security cameras, responding to public questions about surveillance coverage.
Background
Brown University is an Ivy League research institution in Providence, Rhode Island, with a residential campus and a large undergraduate population. Like many US universities, Brown maintains its own campus police force responsible for patrol, emergency response and community safety programs. Campus shootings in the US have driven renewed focus on response protocols, communications and mental-health supports over the past decade.
On 13 December, a gunman entered a building used for engineering and physics classes and opened fire, a scenario that instantly elevated concerns about access control in academic buildings and the effectiveness of campus notification systems. In the week following the attack, students and faculty reported anxiety and calls for transparent after-action reviews. University leaders and state authorities have overlapping jurisdiction in major campus incidents, complicating initial response and public reporting.
Main event
According to statements from university and law-enforcement officials, the shooter fired at least 44 rounds inside the engineering-physics building on 13 December. Campus officers and local police responded to the scene; two students were later confirmed dead and nine others were treated for injuries. Emergency services secured the site and initiated a multi-agency investigation.
President Christina Paxson announced on Monday that Rodney Chatman, the university’s police chief, would be placed on leave effective immediately while Brown’s governing board conducts a review of the response and existing safety policies. Paxson praised the campus officers’ dedication while acknowledging the campus community’s heightened fear and demand for accountability.
Six days after the shooting, investigators named Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national and former Brown student, as the suspect. Valente was found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire on the following Friday. Authorities have said they believe Valente was also responsible for the killing of an MIT professor two days after the Brown attack, but they have not released a motive.
Analysis & implications
The decision to place the police chief on leave signals that Brown’s trustees and leadership are treating the event as both an operational failure and a governance issue. Universities often balance campus autonomy with public accountability; a formal review by the governing body can lead to policy changes, personnel actions or revised training and equipment protocols. This move may help reassure students and families that the institution will pursue demonstrable improvements.
Federal scrutiny from the Department of Education adds another layer of potential consequences, including compliance reviews of Clery Act obligations, reporting practices and emergency notification systems. If federal findings identify deficiencies, Brown could face mandatory corrective actions, settlements or oversight requirements that extend beyond internal reforms. The DOE review also places the university’s timeline and documentation practices under external examination.
Operationally, questions about surveillance coverage, response times and information-sharing between campus police and municipal or state agencies will drive specific recommendations. President Paxson noted Brown has roughly 1,200 cameras, but camera count alone does not address placement, monitoring capacity, or the speed at which footage was reviewed during the investigation. Expect recommendations to include clearer mutual-aid agreements and more frequent cross-jurisdictional drills.
Comparison & data
| Incident | Date | Fatalities | Injuries | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University shooting | 13 December | 2 | 9 | Engineering/physics building, Providence, RI |
| MIT-linked killing | 15 December | 1 | 0 (reported) | Cambridge, MA (off-campus) |
The table compares immediate, confirmed counts tied to the Brown incident and the related killing of an MIT professor two days later. These raw figures do not capture longer-term impacts such as counseling demand, enrollment effects, or legal fallout. Historical comparisons with other campus attacks show that institutional reviews often recommend expanded mental-health services, revised access control, and more robust interagency protocols.
Reactions & quotes
University leadership emphasized care for victims and the need for a comprehensive review.
We are grateful for the bravery and dedication of the campus officers who responded, and we understand the anxiety the community is feeling.
Christina Paxson, President, Brown University
The Department of Education announced a separate review focused on campus safety compliance.
The Department is reviewing the institution’s actions in the wake of the incident to determine compliance with federal safety and reporting obligations.
U.S. Department of Education (official statement)
Public commentary included questions about surveillance and security presence; national leaders also criticized perceived gaps in camera coverage and response coordination. Paxson responded by noting the campus operates approximately 1,200 security cameras while acknowledging cameras are only one element of broader safety systems.
Unconfirmed
- A definitive motive for the shootings has not been released by investigators and remains unconfirmed.
- The precise timeline and any procedural lapses in the initial campus response are under review and have not been publicly verified.
- Full linkage between the Brown attack and the later killing of the MIT professor is described by officials as believed but may be subject to further forensic and investigative confirmation.
Bottom line
Brown University’s placement of its police chief on leave marks a significant institutional step in response to a shooting that left two students dead and nine injured. The move, combined with a review by the university’s governing board and a Department of Education inquiry, indicates that both operational choices and compliance with federal reporting requirements will be examined.
For the campus community, the near-term priorities are transparent findings from the reviews, immediate improvements to safety and support services, and clear communication from university leaders. Over the longer term, outcomes could include revised campus-policing practices, strengthened interagency protocols, and changes to how universities balance open academic access with security.
Sources
- BBC News — international news report summarizing the incident and official statements
- Brown University — official university site for statements and campus information (official)
- U.S. Department of Education — federal agency page; referenced for the announced review (official)