Five days after a deadly mass shooting shattered the calm of Brown University’s campus in Providence, Rhode Island, the search for the perpetrator remains urgent and unresolved. On December 14, 2025, at 4 p.m., gunshots erupted inside the Barus and Holley engineering building, killing two students and injuring nine others. The incident has left the Ivy League community reeling, investigators scrambling for clues, and the city of Providence gripped by anxiety and speculation.
As of December 17, authorities have yet to name a suspect or uncover a clear motive. The investigation, led by Providence Police with assistance from state and federal agencies—including the FBI—has expanded significantly. According to Rhode Island Current, police released new images of a second individual seen walking near the primary person of interest around the time of the shooting. This individual, described as wearing a dark jacket over a tan sweatshirt with the hood up and carrying a tan bag, was reportedly in close proximity to the main suspect—a 5-foot-8 man with a stocky build seen pacing near campus for hours before the attack.
“They were close enough that we feel that we need to speak with them,” Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez emphasized during a Wednesday briefing, as reported by CNN. Perez urged the public to help identify this second person, explaining, “Videos don’t speak. I wish the video could speak, and then I’d have the answers I need.” He added, “A person is going to get caught. We’re not going to stop until they do.”
The search area has grown to encompass a 10-block radius south of the Barus and Holley building, stretching into the Fox Point neighborhood and nearing the Washington Bridge. More than 200 tips—ranging from property security footage to dashcam videos—have poured in, but the manhunt continues. Investigators are relying on a blend of cutting-edge forensic technology and traditional police work, including door-to-door canvassing and yard searches. Physical and DNA evidence has been collected, and police remain hopeful these will bring them closer to an arrest.
Yet, progress has not been without setbacks. CNN detailed how an early focus on a different person of interest, later cleared by DNA and ballistics tests, may have delayed the investigation by as much as a day. This misstep, compounded by the limited security camera coverage in the older Barus and Holley building, has drawn questions—even from the White House—about campus safety protocols. Student Joe McGonagle told CNN he was shocked by the lack of surveillance, noting, “I figured there was going to be cameras at least in the hallway that would’ve picked them up because I knew there was cameras in the lecture hall, they just weren’t pointed at the doors to the entrance of the lecture.”
Brown University officials have defended their security measures, with Provost Francis Doyle stating that all available evidence has been turned over to law enforcement. Doyle also explained that the study session where the shooting occurred was optional, so there was no attendance roster to quickly identify who was in the room. “Had it been a final exam, we’d have a roster, we’d have handed it over. We’d know exactly who was in the room because everyone shows up for a final,” he said.
The campus, typically buzzing with activity, has fallen into a somber silence as students departed for winter break. Memorials have sprung up near portraits of the two victims, Ella Cook and Mukhammed Aziz Umurzokov. Friends and community members have stopped to pay their respects, leaving flowers and pausing for moments of prayer. “Usually there’s so much happiness and laughter and joy and lots of students and professors and teachers, and there’s just no one,” Colleen Kenne, a local worker, told CNN.
Inside the Barus and Holley building, the chaos was immediate and terrifying. Arjun Puri, a freshman, described hiding in a darkened classroom with friends for 45 minutes, uncertain if the shooter would find them or if the police would arrive first. “We were all pretty scared at the beginning,” Puri recounted. “It’s just a question of ‘What’s gonna happen? Is the person gonna come up the stairs? Are the police gonna find you first?’” Another student, Ref Bari, told CNN of hearing the initial “pop, pop, pop” of gunfire, sprinting for the exits, and warning others as he escaped. “I kept running. And as I kept running, I FaceTimed my parents,” he said, his family watching helplessly from New York.
Despite the trauma, the community has rallied in support. Students have checked in on one another—sometimes with strangers—sharing phone numbers and offering help. “Everyone was just willing to support each other, and that’s something that makes me proud to be a member of the Brown community,” Puri said.
Authorities have stressed the importance of public assistance in solving the case. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Providence Police have set up an online repository of verified photos and videos of the suspect and the second individual. Mayor Brett Smiley cautioned against the spread of misinformation and AI-generated images on social media, while Brown University issued a statement warning against harmful doxxing and speculation, urging the community to refrain from sharing unverified accusations.
As of Wednesday, six students remain hospitalized, with one upgraded from critical to critical but stable condition, and five in stable condition, according to Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and hospital officials. One injured student, Jacob Spears, 18, of Evans, Georgia, has become the focus of a verified GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised over $66,000 to support his recovery. Spears, who was shot in the back, managed to escape the classroom and is now recuperating with support from his family and community.
The investigation remains active and collaborative, with nine federal agencies working alongside state and local officials. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha explained the decision to withhold certain details, such as interior video footage, to preserve the integrity of witness interviews and prevent the spread of sensitive information. “These are not facts that advance the investigation,” Neronha said. “As we interview witnesses, we don’t want them to learn facts from these press conferences. We’re being careful about the facts that we are sharing for that reason.”
While the campus community continues to mourn and heal, law enforcement’s determination remains undimmed. “A person is going to get caught. We’re going to do our jobs and we’re not going to stop until we do… It could be tomorrow, but we’re not stopping until we find them,” Chief Perez vowed. The next official update is expected at a scheduled briefing on December 18, as the city waits for answers and justice.
