At least two people were killed and eight others critically or seriously wounded in a shooting on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The incident occurred a little after 4 p.m. local time inside the Barus & Holley engineering building, where final exams were under way. Providence officials said the suspect remains at large; a shelter-in-place order was issued for the campus area as police searched. Federal agencies including the FBI and the ATF have joined local authorities in the response.
Key takeaways
- Timing and place: The shooting was reported a little after 4 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2025, in Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building during final exams.
- Casualties: Officials confirmed at least two fatalities and eight people taken to Rhode Island Hospital; the hospital later reported six patients “critical but stable,” one in critical condition and one in stable condition.
- Suspect status: No arrests were confirmed; police described a male dressed in black who fled via the Hope Street side and said no weapon has been recovered.
- Immediate actions: A shelter-in-place order covered the campus and nearby streets while authorities cleared the building and worked to release suspect images to the public.
- Federal support: The FBI confirmed assistance and the ATF announced it was sending agents to support the investigation.
- Communications: Initial claims that a suspect had been detained were retracted after further checks by law enforcement and university public safety.
- Public safety impact: Local hospitals and emergency teams mobilized; Brown University issued campus alerts instructing people to lock doors and shelter indoors.
Background
Brown University is an Ivy League campus located in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island, and its engineering complex serves large undergraduate and graduate cohorts. The Barus & Holley building houses classrooms, labs and offices used for end-of-term examinations, increasing on-site population when finals are scheduled. Campus safety procedures typically include evening patrols, card access to many facilities and coordinated emergency alerts with municipal authorities.
Mass shootings on college campuses in the United States have provoked recurring debate over security measures, mental-health resources and firearm policy. Universities generally run regular active-shooter drills and maintain rapid-notification systems; nevertheless, incidents during peak academic activity—like finals—pose acute challenges for rapid evacuation and medical triage. Local, state and federal agencies often collaborate in large-scale campus incidents, blending campus police, municipal departments and federal investigative resources.
Main event
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and Deputy Police Chief Tim O’Hara briefed reporters Saturday evening. Officials said the first 911 calls came shortly after 4 p.m. from the Barus & Holley engineering building. Responding officers and emergency medical services arrived quickly and cleared the building; however, authorities said the shooter had already left the scene by the time the area was secured.
Rhode Island Hospital took eight patients from the scene. In an early hospital statement, officials reported that six patients were “critical but stable,” one remained in critical condition, and one was in stable condition. The city confirmed two fatalities at the scene. Mayor Smiley warned that numbers were provisional and could change as the situation developed.
Police described the suspect only as a male wearing black clothing who exited on the Hope Street side; it remained unclear how he entered the building. Officers did not recover a weapon at the scene by the time of the briefing and said resources were focused on canvassing, reviewing surveillance and attempting to release images of the suspect to the public.
Brown University issued campus alerts telling students and staff to lock doors, silence phones, and remain in place until authorities declared it safe. The university said final exams were taking place in the building at the time. Initial campus public-safety messages that a suspect had been taken into custody were later retracted after law enforcement clarified that the individual in question was not involved.
Analysis & implications
Short-term, the immediate priority for authorities is to locate the suspect and secure the scene while providing care to victims and support to a shaken campus community. The mix of fatalities and critically injured patients underscores the urgency of triage, trauma care capacity and rapid transport protocols when mass-casualty events occur within dense academic settings. Local hospitals and EMS systems can face capacity strain during such events, prompting mutual-aid responses from neighboring systems.
For Brown and comparable campuses, the incident will likely prompt a review of building access controls, exam scheduling practices, and coordination between university public-safety offices and municipal responders. Even where card-access and locks exist, common entrances, basement or service doors, and open public corridors can create vulnerabilities that planners must assess. Administrators will face pressure to balance openness and community access with stepped-up physical security measures.
Politically and legally, high-profile campus shootings tend to re-ignite debates about gun policy, campus policing authority, and mental-health interventions. Federal involvement from the FBI and ATF signals that investigators will examine the shooting’s origins, any weapon sourcing, and potential interstate elements. The presence of federal agents also reflects procedural norms in incidents with multiple casualties or indeterminate motives.
Comparison & data
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Patients transported to Rhode Island Hospital | 8 |
| Hospital status breakdown | 6 critical but stable, 1 critical, 1 stable |
Contextual data from campus shootings historically show variance in casualty counts depending on weapon type, location density and response times. While each incident is unique, officials often analyze entry points, response intervals, and emergency communications to identify gaps. Those reviews influence policy and training adjustments across higher-education institutions.
Reactions & quotes
Mayor Smiley addressed the public to summarize the immediate facts and urge caution in the face of evolving information. He emphasized that the casualty figures were preliminary and asked residents to heed shelter-in-place orders while police continued their canvass.
“Those are the only injuries or casualties that we know at this time… these numbers may change, we are still in early hours.”
Brett Smiley, Mayor of Providence
Governor Dan McKee framed the shooting as a community tragedy and pledged state support for local responders, signaling that resources would be made available to assist in the investigation and victim services.
“The unthinkable has happened.”
Dan McKee, Governor of Rhode Island
Federal agencies confirmed their role in the response, with the FBI noting assistance to local law enforcement and the ATF reporting deployment of agents. Officials cautioned the public about unverified reports as investigators worked to confirm details.
“We are assisting our law enforcement partners in Rhode Island with any and all available resources.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation (statement)
Unconfirmed
- The identity, motive and whereabouts of the suspect have not been publicly confirmed by investigators at the time of this report.
- How the suspect entered the Barus & Holley building has not been verified; building access points remain under investigation.
- Reports that a suspect had been detained were retracted; details about the individual initially questioned and the reason for retraction are still being clarified.
Bottom line
This shooting at Brown University on Dec. 13, 2025, produced at least two deaths and multiple critical injuries while final exams were taking place in the affected building, prompting a shelter-in-place and a multiagency response. The suspect remains at large with no weapon recovered at the scene, and investigators from local, state and federal agencies are pursuing leads, reviewing surveillance, and attempting to release images to the public.
In the coming days authorities will focus on locating the suspect, piecing together motive and entry methods, and supporting victims and the campus community. The episode will also likely trigger institutional reviews of access controls, emergency communication, and medical surge planning for large universities.
Sources
- CBS News (media report summarizing official briefings and hospital statement)
- Brown University (university public-safety alerts)
- Office of the Mayor of Providence (municipal official statements)
- Rhode Island Hospital / Lifespan (hospital statement)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (official: assisting local partners)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (official: agents deployed)