On the morning of Dec. 13, a former Survivor contestant and graduate student found herself just minutes away from a tragedy that would claim two lives and wound nine at Brown University.
The Incident
Eva Erickson, 25, was a PhD candidate in engineering and fluid and thermal science at the Ivy League school when the shooting began.
Her Narrow Escape
She had left her graduate office around 4 p.m., a few minutes before the gunfire erupted in the building. At the time, she was already in the indoor track and basketball area, a space that would later become a quiet refuge for her.
“I was leaving the building within five minutes of the shooter coming in.”
After the initial chaos, she was not allowed to return to her off‑campus residence until about 1:30 a.m., a time that stretched her nerves.
Aftermath and Reflections
“On campus today has just been so eerie,” she added. “Everybody is leaving. Everyone is trying to get the hell away from Brown to get home to their families where they can feel safe.”
Driving past Barus & Holley, the very building where the shooting occurred, she felt a sudden wave of disbelief.
“The door that I had exited mere minutes before the shooter would have entered was covered up. Boarded off, crime scene tape all around the building. Still a lot of police presence,” Erickson said.
Seeing the scene made her realize that, for all of the night, she had believed she was safe, but the reality was far different.
Beyond her academic work, Erickson also captains the university’s club hockey team, a role that has given her a close‑knit community of teammates.
During the initial lockdown, she heard from friends and lab mates that they were all good, a reassurance that later felt fragile.
She admitted that the event sparked a flood of “what ifs”—imagining a friend or teammate in harm’s way.
“All I can think is that it could have been one of my friends,” she continued, “that could have been one of my teammates.”
She reflected on her disbelief that such violence could occur on a campus she thought safe.
“You think that this is never going to happen to you,” Erickson shared. “It’s never going to happen on your campus. It was never going to happen on Brown, right? But it did and it could have happened to anyone. And that’s what’s so scary.”
Call to Action
Erickson ended her video with a plea for systemic change, warning that the violence should not persist in schools across America.
“This can’t keep happening at schools across America.”
She added a personal note about her own uncertainty, yet a belief that someone else has the power to make a difference.
“I don’t know if I don’t have the tools,” she said, “but somebody does, and somebody can make a change here.”
Key Takeaways
- The shooting at Brown University on Dec. 13 left two dead and nine wounded.
- Eva Erickson escaped the building minutes before the gunfire began.
- She calls for broader action to prevent similar incidents at schools.
Closing
Erickson’s testimony underscores the fragility of campus safety and the urgency of addressing gun violence. Her story, shared on Instagram, serves as a stark reminder that the threat can strike at any time, even in places where people feel protected. As Brown University and the wider community grapple with the aftermath, the call for change echoes beyond the campus gates. Erickson’s message remains clear: the violence must end, and collective action is required to safeguard students and staff.
