An active shooter on Brown University’s campus forced a campus‑wide lockdown after gunfire in a nearby classroom killed two students and wounded nine.
Incident Details
The shooting took place in the Barus & Holley building, a classroom where a gunman opened fire. Authorities confirmed two fatalities and nine injuries. Police began a manhunt that continued into early Sunday. The university’s public safety department reported the active shooter at around 4:05 p.m. Students were instructed to shelter‑in‑place.
Student Experiences
First‑year Benjamin DiBella was in the Sciences Library when he heard the announcement. He checked the Sidechat messaging board and saw dozens of panic messages. “and saw dozens of messages all only minutes old noting panic and gunshots,” DiBella said. DiBella described the lockdown on the 9th floor: doors barricaded, people scrolling news feeds for two‑and‑a‑half hours. “We were aware that police forces were gradually clearing the floors of the Sciences Library, and at times we heard them on floors above and beneath us,” DiBella said.
Sophomore Satvik Paduri, 19, from Texas, said he stayed in his dorm after the shooting. “I definitely don’t feel comfortable going out of my dorm room just because they haven’t found the shooter,” Paduri said. “Obviously, he could be anywhere.” He noted that a friend in the engineering building had left his phone behind but was safe. “It turns out he was able to get out, but just left his phone behind in the panic,” Paduri said. “It’s just horrifying that something like this has occurred so close to home,” he said.
Sophomore Atman Shah, 19, from California, recounted seeing police cars speed down a residential road. “You saw police cars with lights and sirens going like 60 mph down a residential road, and that’s when we knew ‘OK, something serious is happening,’” said Shah. He and his friend Amber were at a cafe when everyone fled. “As time goes on, it just becomes a deep sadness,” Shah said.
Both students said they are fortunate that neither they nor any of their friends were hurt, and that their thoughts are with the victims.
Campus Response
The university issued a shelter‑in‑place order at 4:05 p.m. and kept it in effect through midnight. A perimeter was established, and students waited in administrative buildings for law‑enforcement escorts. In the final scheduled update of the night, officials discussed their investigation into the shooting and their efforts to ensure the safety of the city for the rest of the weekend.
Matt Lavietes contributed.
