Brown University, one of the nation’s storied Ivy League institutions, was thrust into chaos on December 13, 2025, when a gunman opened fire inside the Barus and Holley building, killing two students and injuring nine others, according to CNN and The Brown Daily Herald. The attack, which erupted as students sat for final exams and review sessions, has left the Providence, Rhode Island campus shaken and the broader community on edge as a massive manhunt for the shooter continues.
Authorities say the shooting began in the early afternoon during a Principles of Economics final exam review session held in a classroom within the engineering and physics building. The suspect, described by police as a man in his 30s wearing dark clothing and possibly a gray camouflage mask, remains at large. Surveillance footage released by Providence police shows the suspected shooter leaving the Barus and Holley building and walking along Hope Street before turning onto Waterman Street, but the footage does not reveal any clear facial features, making identification difficult (CNN).
Chaos quickly unfolded as the first shots rang out. Katie Sun, a first-year student, was studying in the Engineering Research Center lobby when she heard gunfire around 4:10 p.m. “It was honestly quite terrifying. The shots seemed like they were coming from … where the classrooms are,” she told The Brown Daily Herald. She fled the building, leaving her belongings behind, and took shelter in her dorm. Another student, Refath Bari, recalled, “There was confusion and then people started running. I ran as fast as I could to the other side of the street towards Thayer Street, and then I found a student and went into her apartment.”
As the incident unfolded, the university’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) sent urgent alerts to students, urging them to hide, run, or evacuate. Several buildings were placed on lockdown, and police officers and emergency vehicles swarmed the campus and surrounding streets. Some students, like Shiney Mayanja, barricaded themselves in rooms, turning off lights and using tables to block doors, waiting anxiously for updates. “This very much puts into perspective how much you need to value your life because you’d think nothing would happen here. It’s Brown,” Mayanja told CNN. “And you know, we’re going home next week, finals are almost over, but two people are now dead around Christmas time. So it’s just very much heartbreaking to see and it’s hard to process.”
First responders arrived swiftly. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley praised the quick action of Brown University police and their coordination with city officers, who “fearlessly and courageously entered and worked through the building.” Officers cleared classrooms, helping students who had barricaded themselves inside, and searched the area for the suspect. Despite the rapid response, the shooter had already slipped away, and the manhunt immediately expanded across Providence.
Over 400 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, poured into the city to aid in the search. The Secret Service also dispatched personnel to provide support, and Governor Daniel McKee maintained direct contact with the White House and FBI. “The FBI director made it very clear that whatever resources they have at the FBI at the moment to apprehend this shooter, identify this shooter and get the shooter in custody, that they are going to be working with us,” McKee said at a press conference (CNN).
Rhode Island Hospital admitted nine patients with gun-related injuries. Six were reported in critical but stable condition, one in critical condition, and two in stable condition. The hospital, which went into lockdown, continued to accept patients in its emergency department. The Miriam Hospital, also affiliated with Brown University, did not receive any patients related to the shooting. According to Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, a ninth individual left the scene before realizing they had “received fragments from the shooting that occurred near them,” but is expected to fully recover.
Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that most of the victims were students. “Our focus right now is on supporting the families who have been affected by this, families of the two students who sadly lost their lives today,” she said at a Saturday evening news conference. She also emphasized the university’s commitment to the eight other students hospitalized as a result of the attack.
The shooting has upended campus life. Brown University provost Frank Doyle announced that all scheduled exams for December 14, 2025, would be canceled. The campus and nearby neighborhoods remained under lockdown for hours, with students and faculty taking shelter as police combed the area. Outside the university’s family reunification center, groups of people streamed in, anxiously seeking news of loved ones, as officers searched bags and maintained a visible security presence (CNN).
The Barus and Holley building, a seven-story facility housing classrooms and labs for engineering and physics, was accessible to anyone at the time of the shooting due to ongoing exams. Mayor Smiley noted, “The exterior doors of Brown University’s Barus and Holley building were unlocked during the time of the shooting because exams were taking place, so anybody could have accessed the building at that time.” Governor McKee added, “Everything needs to be looked at on a daily basis and we do that, and we prepare for emergencies. This is no exception… Until we actually know more, it’s difficult to make comment in terms of whether the situation was as safe as it should be, but we’ll follow up.”
Residents of Providence were advised to remain vigilant, but Mayor Smiley stated that there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the broader community. “We do believe you can safely go to church in the morning,” he said, acknowledging the community’s desire to maintain normalcy amid the tragedy, especially with the holidays approaching.
This incident marks the first school shooting in Rhode Island since at least 2008, according to CNN’s database. It comes in a year when over 70 school shootings have been reported across the United States, underscoring the persistent and tragic reality of gun violence on campuses nationwide.
As the investigation continues and the search for the suspect intensifies, Brown University and the city of Providence are left grappling with shock, grief, and unanswered questions. The impact of this tragedy, especially as it strikes so close to the holidays, will be felt by families, students, and the wider community for years to come.
