Officials said Sunday that authorities have detained a person of interest in connection with the fatal mass shooting at Brown University during final exam preparations, which left two students dead and wounded nine others.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said during a Sunday morning briefing “we have detained a person of interest,” later identified by NBC News as Benjamin Erickson, 24, of Wisconsin. The suspect was taken into custody around 3:45 a.m. at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, Rhode Island, roughly 20 to 30 miles south of Providence, after police received a tip from a member of the public. Law enforcement sources said that Erickson was found with a revolver and a small Glock handgun in his room at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island.
Public records indicate that as of 2024, Erickson’s residence was an apartment in Washington, D.C., and that he previously lived in Wisconsin. Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, said in a statement that Erickson was an infantryman in the Army from May 2021 to November 2024 and initial public records searches do not indicate that he had a criminal record. “He has no deployments and left the Army in the rank of specialist,” Castro said.
Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr. said later Sunday that investigators are still gathering evidence and executing search warrants, declining to discuss a possible motive or the individual’s connection to the university. “We are working with what we have, and, obviously, we have somebody at the police station, that person of interest. And we’re going to continue to build that case in order to be able to charge that person,” Perez said.
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon inside the Barus & Holley engineering building on Hope Street, where engineering and physics classes are held. University officials said gunfire broke out in a lecture hall during a final exam review session as students across the College Hill campus were preparing for exams ahead of winter break.
Investigators said surveillance footage released by police showed a figure dressed in dark clothing calmly walking away from the area after the shooting. The person’s face was not visible, and police have not confirmed whether the individual seen in the video is the same person now in custody. Prior to the detention, authorities circulated a brief video clip showing a person in dark clothing walking along Hope Street and then north on Waterman Street, with one hand appearing to be inside a jacket pocket.
Brown University President Christina H. Paxson called the incident a day of “devastating gun violence,” saying in a statement, “Our hearts go out to them. This is a day of tremendous sorrow. No parent or family member should ever have to endure a day like this.” All of the victims — those killed and those injured — were students, according to Paxson. As of Sunday morning, eight of the nine wounded students remained hospitalized. Officials said seven were in stable condition, while one was listed as critical but stable. One student with less serious injuries was later discharged.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau assisted local authorities by deploying its Cellular Analysis Survey Team to help locate the person of interest. Patel wrote in a post on X: “An update on the @FBI response at Brown University: @FBIBoston established a command post to intake, develop and analyze leads, and run them to ground. We activated the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, to provide critical geolocation capabilities. As a result, early this morning, FBI Boston’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the @USMarshalsHQ & the @Coventry_RI_PD, detained a person of interest in a hotel room in Coventry, RI, based off a lead by the @ProvidenceRIPD. We have deployed local and national resources to process and reconstruct the shooting scene – providing HQ and Lab elements on scene. We set up a digital media intake portal to ingest images and video from the public related to this incident. nAnd the FBI’s victim specialists are fully integrating with our partners to provide resources to victims and survivors of this horrific violence. This FBI will continue an all out 24/7 campaign until justice is fully served. Thanks to the men and women of the FBI and our partners for their continued teamwork. Please continue praying for the victims and their families – as well as all those at Brown University.”
The shelter-in-place order for Brown’s College Hill campus and surrounding neighborhoods was lifted early Sunday, though police said some areas remain active crime scenes with limited access. The university has canceled all remaining classes, exams, and academic requirements for the Fall 2025 semester, allowing students to leave campus if they choose. Those who remain will have access to counseling and support services. Provost Francis J. Doyle III said in a statement that “At this time, it is essential that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to the members of our community as we grapple with the sorrow, fear and anxiety that is impacting all of us right now.”
President Trump also addressed the shooting from the White House on Sunday, offering condolences to the victims and their families. “To the nine injured, get well fast and to the families of those two that are no longer with us, I pay my deepest regards and respect from the United States of America,” he said.
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