What We Know So Far About the Search for the Brown University Shooting Suspect
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Three days after a gunman opened fire in a campus engineering building, killing two students and wounding nine others, the suspect remains at large. With the community on high alert, authorities have released new video in a urgent push for leads, while police fan out across local schools to reassure a rattled city.
Here is what we know so far about the investigation and its aftermath.
New Video, Intensified Search
In an effort to break the case, investigators released a clearer video timeline on Tuesday. The footage, captured more than an hour before the Saturday attack, shows the suspect running at times through quiet residential streets near the Brown University campus. This provides a slightly better view than earlier clips, where the individual’s face was masked or turned away.
Authorities describe the suspect as having a stocky build and standing approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall. According to a law enforcement official, the gunman fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun inside a first-floor classroom where students were studying for an exam.
Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez has asked the public to review any personal camera footage from the area dating back a week. So far, about 200 tips have been submitted. Police have already cleared one person of interest who was detained on Sunday, confirming it did not derail the ongoing manhunt.
Campus Security Under Scrutiny
The shooting has sparked serious questions about safety protocols on campus. Some students and observers pointed out a lack of security cameras in the older engineering building where the attack occurred—a factor that limited video evidence of the shooter’s escape.
“The issue isn’t the doors, it’s the guns,” said Zoe Kass, a senior who fled the building during the shooting.
In response, Brown President Christina Paxson defended the university’s actions, emphasizing its commitment to student safety and noting the campus is equipped with about 1,200 cameras overall. She explained the university’s dual-alert system: one that sends texts, calls, and emails to the community—which reached 20,000 people on Saturday—and another with three outdoor sirens. Paxson stated the sirens are reserved for broader emergencies and would not be activated in an active shooter scenario, as they might inadvertently direct people toward danger.
Community on Edge
Tension remains palpable across Providence. Out of caution, the local school district has canceled all after-school activities, sporting events, and field trips this week. Ten state troopers have been assigned to support local police providing enhanced security at schools.
Meanwhile, a growing memorial of flowers and notes honors the victims outside the engineering building, a somber reminder of the lives abruptly changed.
Victims: Remembering Those Lost and Wounded
The two students killed have been identified as MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Virginia, and Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore from Alabama.
Of the nine wounded, two had been released from the hospital by Tuesday. Among those still hospitalized, one remains in critical condition, five are in critical but stable condition, and one is stable.
Stories of courage and survival have begun to surface. Freshman Spencer Yang, 18, described a frantic scramble after the gunman entered; he was shot in the leg. Another freshman, Jacob Spears, 18, was shot in the stomach but managed to run outside where others came to his aid. Kendall Turner, a recent graduate of a North Carolina preparatory school, was also among the wounded.
As the investigation presses forward, a university and a city mourn, waiting for answers and hoping for resolution. The release of new video marks a critical step, but for many, the path to healing cannot begin until the suspect is found.
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