Providence Mayor Visits Hospitalized Brown University Shooting Survivors, Investigation Continues

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley spent part of Thursday visiting students wounded in this week’s shooting at Brown University, city officials confirmed. The mayor’s appearance at Rhode Island Hospital came as law-enforcement agencies continued piecing together the events that left three undergraduates injured and shook the Ivy League campus.

According to Providence Police, gunfire erupted outside a residence hall shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 13. Officers arrived within minutes and discovered three male students, ages 19 to 21, suffering from gunshot wounds. Two were listed in serious but stable condition overnight, while a third was treated and released on Thursday morning.

Investigators quickly identified a person of interest and issued an alert to surrounding jurisdictions. Shortly before dawn on Thursday, Coventry police located the individual at a Hampton Inn roughly 20 miles southwest of campus. The unnamed subject was detained without incident and transferred to Providence for questioning. No formal charges had been announced by late Thursday afternoon, but authorities said the individual remained in custody while detectives reviewed surveillance video and conducted forensic tests on recovered shell casings.

Campus Response

Brown University President Christina Paxson placed the campus on modified lockdown immediately after the shooting, activating the school’s emergency notification system and instructing students to shelter in place. Classes scheduled for Thursday were canceled as additional security personnel patrolled academic buildings, dormitories and perimeter gates.

University officials also opened crisis-counseling centers in the Sharpe Refectory and the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center. “Our focus is on the well-being of our students and the ongoing cooperation with police,” Paxson said in a statement emailed to the university community.

The student body of approximately 10,000 was already approaching final-exam week. Administrators said faculty would offer flexibility on assignments and testing for anyone affected. Meanwhile, the annual winter commencement ceremony, planned for Saturday, remains under review.

Mayor’s Hospital Visit

Mayor Smiley met privately with two of the injured students and their families at Rhode Island Hospital’s trauma wing on Thursday morning. In brief remarks to reporters outside the facility, he thanked doctors and nurses for their “swift, lifesaving work” and promised continued municipal support. “No parent should receive a phone call like the ones these families got last night,” Smiley said.

Hospital officials did not release the students’ names but confirmed that both were expected to recover fully. One patient, a 20-year-old junior, underwent surgery for a leg wound, while the other, a first-year student, was treated for a shoulder injury.

Security Measures and Federal Assistance

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez stated that investigators are exploring whether the shooting was targeted or random. Detectives have interviewed multiple witnesses and collected footage from campus security cameras and nearby businesses on Thayer Street.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has offered ballistic analysis, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation dispatched agents from its Boston field office to assist with digital evidence. Police did not disclose how many rounds were fired but said a semi-automatic handgun believed to be the weapon used was recovered at the Hampton Inn.

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Student Reactions

Many students returned to residence halls late Thursday morning after the shelter-in-place order was lifted. Sophomore Maya Patel described barricading her dorm-room door with a desk when the alerts began. “It felt like every text could be the difference between safety and danger,” she said.

Others gathered for an impromptu vigil on the Main Green, lighting candles and writing messages of support on poster boards. Campus safety officials encouraged large groups to remain indoors after dusk and reminded students of the university’s late-night shuttle service.

Regional and National Context

The Brown University incident occurred amid heightened vigilance at educational institutions nationwide following several high-profile campus shootings in 2025. In November, five people were killed at an off-campus apartment complex near Ohio State University, and earlier this month two students were wounded at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The Department of Homeland Security last week issued a bulletin warning universities to review active-shooter protocols and coordinate closely with local law enforcement.

Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee said his office is monitoring developments and remains in contact with Providence police, state troopers and university leadership. “We will use every resource to ensure the perpetrator is held accountable and our campuses remain safe,” McKee stated during a Thursday press briefing at the State House.

Next Steps in the Investigation

Authorities have not speculated publicly on a motive. Chief Perez indicated that detectives are examining the detained individual’s cell-phone records, social-media accounts and potential ties to anyone on campus. The forensic review of the weapon and ballistic evidence will determine whether it has been used in other crimes in the region.

Brown University has asked anyone with information or video from the area around Keeney Quadrangle between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday to contact Providence Police or the university’s Department of Public Safety.

For now, classes are expected to resume on Friday with an increased police presence and additional lighting around residence halls. Counseling services will remain available 24 hours a day, university officials said.

Crédito da imagem: LiveABC News