Additional Coverage:
- Authorities press for more information from the public amid search for Brown University shooter (nbcnews.com)
Providence Police Seek Public’s Help in Identifying Individual Amid Ongoing Manhunt
Providence, RI – As the extensive manhunt for a person of interest in Saturday’s campus shooting enters its fifth day, Providence police are intensifying their efforts, appealing to the public for assistance in identifying an individual seen near the person of interest.
On Wednesday, authorities released surveillance images depicting a person walking past the man deemed a person of interest. Providence Police Chief Col.
Oscar Perez stated at a news conference that investigators are “asking for the public’s help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in these photos who was in proximity of the person of interest.” The individual in the images is described as wearing a short blue coat and a light-colored hoodie.
“They may have information relevant to the investigation,” Chief Perez added.
The chief also provided a map highlighting the confirmed sightings of the person of interest both before and after the shooting. Hundreds of officers from nine federal and local law enforcement agencies are actively canvassing this area, and the public is urged to provide any video footage from the day of the shooting.
Despite receiving over 200 credible tips, authorities have yet to identify a suspect. “That person is going to get caught,” Chief Perez affirmed.
“We’re not going to stop until we find them.” The ongoing search has been complicated by the early departure of many students, faculty, and staff following the cancellation of the remainder of the fall semester.
Images of the person of interest, described as approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a stocky build, were shared earlier this week. The FBI, in collaboration with Providence police and Rhode Island state police, released a video timeline on Tuesday. This footage shows the man wearing a dark hat, a two-tone zippered jacket, black pants, and a dark medical mask that obscures most of his face.
The compiled security video timeline shows the man walking in the neighborhood surrounding the university campus, about a block from campus, at 2 p.m. ET-two hours before the shooting.
He is also seen walking in front of the building where the shooting occurred and walking away from campus afterward. Crucially, there is no video showing the person of interest entering the Barus and Holley engineering building, where the shooting took place.
State Attorney General Peter Neronha noted on Tuesday that the area of the engineering building where the shooting occurred has limited security cameras due to its older campus section. However, cameras in newer areas captured images of students fleeing the scene.
Brown University spokesperson Brian E. Clark confirmed the university possesses an extensive network of over 1,200 security cameras across campus buildings and spaces. While cameras are not in every hallway, classroom, laboratory, or office, Clark stated, “We have and will continue to provide investigators with any and all security camera footage they need.”
As the investigation progresses, the community is coming together to process the tragic event. A candlelight vigil at St.
Stephen’s Church, attended by approximately 200 people, offered a space for prayer and tribute to the victims. Providence resident José Flores expressed the shared grief, stating, “We feel very bad because it’s like a shared mourning; we’re all connected in the same heart.”
Brown alumnus Chris Kremer reflected, “it could have been any one of us.”
Of the nine individuals injured, three have been discharged from Rhode Island Hospital, five remain in stable condition, and one is in “critical but stable condition.” Among the wounded was first-year student Spencer Yang, a member of Brown University’s volleyball team.
The team shared on Instagram that Yang, “even after being shot, selflessly provided aid to a severely wounded classmate until first responders arrived.” Yang is now recovering at home with his family, and the team expressed immense pride in his actions.