Brown University shooting: two dead and eight in critical condition as suspect remains at large – live updates

The manhunt for the shooter has been complicated by large crowds in downtown Providence, local media are reporting, with a large number of holiday shoppers and thousands of people attending concerts.

Federal law enforcement and police from surrounding cities and towns were assisting in the search.

The Providence Place mall has reportedly been closed due to the ongoing search, according to an employee from the centre who spoke to local media.

Brown’s president, Christina Paxson, added in a later update that the campus continued to be in lockdown.

“It is imperative that all members of our community remain sheltered in place. This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus.”

“The law enforcement response remains ongoing. Safety is the utmost and essential priority.”

Christina Paxson, Brown’s president, said in a message to students that it was a “deeply tragic day”.

We know our community wants answers, and we will provide them as soon as we can. For now, please know we are doing all we can to keep our community safe and have mobilized support for the students and their families.”

Exams were underway in the Barus + Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department, when the shooting took place.

Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was working on a final research project in his dorm directly across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside and received a text about an active shooter.

“I’m just in here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as a half-dozen armed officers in tactical gear surrounded his dorm. He said he feared for a friend who he thought was inside the engineering building at the time.

Students in a nearby lab hid under desks and turned off the lights after receiving an alert about the shooting, said Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block away from the scene.

Mari Camara, 20, a junior from New York City, was coming out of the library and rushed inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.

“Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the engineering building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side, the Associated Press is reporting.

Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she was waited for a couple of hours.

Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren has said her “heart goes out to the victims,” of the shooting at Brown University.

Students should be able to learn in peace, not fear gun violence.”

Republican Ted Cruz has said he is “praying for the students, faculty, and first responders on the scene and for the safety of everyone in the area.”

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has said he is “heartbroken for those killed and injured by yet another horrific shooting.”

No student, professor, or any American should fear for their life when on campus. We must do more to stop this senseless gun violence.”

Rhode Island governor Dan McKee has said “the unthinkable has happened”.

McKee said his office has been in touch with the White House.

The university’s student newspaper, the Brown Daily Herald, is running a live blog to keep students updated on the events as they unfold.

Among the witnesses they have spoken to is Martyna Kaps, who was leaving a class when she heard “loud bangs” and saw students running from a room.

There were still people in the classroom … From what I heard, many of them dove behind the teacher’s desk and hid there to avoid the bullets.”

Katie Sun told the Herald she was studying in a nearby building when she heard gunfire. She ran to her dorm, leaving all her belongings behind.

It was honestly quite terrifying. The shots seemed like they were coming from...where the classrooms are.”

Donald Trump has told reporters that he had been briefed on the shooting and “all we can do right now is pray for the victims.”

“It’s a shame,” he said in brief remarks made outside the White House.

Everytown for Gun Safety, which describes itself as the largest gun violence prevention organisation in the country, has said “today’s shooting at Brown University is another unacceptable reminder of our nation’s gun violence crisis. We either take action, or we bury more of our kids.”

Students on college campuses should be preparing for final exams and winter break — not enduring yet another all too familiar tragedy caused by gun violence.”

We’re starting to get more images into the newsroom now:

We’re getting some more comments from local officials.

Brown University provost Frank Doyle said final exams were taking place in the engineering building when the shooter opened fire.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley asked for prayers for the families of the victims, noting the coming Christmas holiday. “It’s going to be a difficult rest of the day, difficult days and months ahead as this community heals,” he said.

Smiley declined to say whether the victims were students.

Laith Reader Frayn, 14, said he was in a barbershop opposite the engineering building when police and emergency vehicles arrived.

“A bunch of cop cars, a lot of ambulances and tactics teams showed up. I heard gunshots soon after they showed up. Then I saw two people carried out of the building on stretchers.

“The first person was unconscious and the other was awake. We sheltered in place for about an hour. Then I left with my dad. The situation was calm.

“There was no sign of a shooter other than the people that had been shot. We were mostly just shocked that this happened … the barbers said this had never happened before [at Brown].”

Police said no weapons were recovered from the scene and the last sighting of the suspect was him leaving the Hope Street side of the building on foot.

Brown University has issued a statement confirming “multiple shooting victims”.

It said “we are not able to share their condition,” adding “they have been transported to local hospitals”.

The university said multiple exams were taking place in the Barus & Holley Engineering building in the afternoon.

Providence Council member John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus, said: “We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant.

“As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”

Kristy DosReis, the city of Providence’s chief public information officer for public safety, declined to provide details on the number of people injured or whether any were killed.

“There have been multiple people shot,” DosReis said.

“It continues to be an active investigation and we are urging people to shelter in place.”

At 16:22 local time (21:22 GMT) Brown University sent out an urgent alert, warning of an active shooter on campus and urging people to “lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice”.

It also said people should run, evacuate safely if they could, hide or as a last resort they should “fight”.

In his latest update posted on X a few minutes ago, the university said: “Urgent: Situation remains ongoing. Continue to shelter in place. Law enforcement on site. Visit http://brown.edu for updates.”