Active shooter incident leaves multiple dead and wounded at Brown

Providence authorities and Brown University officials said an active shooter opened fire on and around the Brown University campus on the afternoon of December 13, leaving at least two people dead and eight others hospitalized, according to the city mayor and subsequent reporting. The violence unfolded near campus engineering and physics facilities and sent students, faculty and nearby residents into lockdown as law enforcement and emergency medical teams converged on the scene.

Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed the fatalities and said eight people were hospitalized, adding that those patients were "in a critical but stable condition" and that casualty figures could change as the investigation continued. The Associated Press likewise reported at least two fatalities. Local and national news organizations said no suspect was in custody as of the latest public updates, and police urged the public to shelter in place or avoid the area until authorities provided further information.

Brown University issued an emergency alert that reported an active shooter and advised people to shelter in place, lock doors and silence phones. The alert referenced the Barus and Holley building, which houses Brown’s School of Engineering and Physics, as a location where the shooter had been seen and noted shots reported near Governor Street. Media outlets recorded a series of public notices as the events unfolded, including a university alert time stamped at 4:22 p.m. local time and a Providence Police post to X at about 5:33 p.m.

First responders and hospital staff worked through the evening to move patients and treat the wounded. Television footage and photographs distributed by local media showed law enforcement gathered outside campus buildings, ambulances on site and students hunkered down in classrooms. Brown said it was coordinating with multiple law enforcement agencies to search for suspect or suspects and to secure the campus while investigators canvassed the area and interviewed witnesses.

Beyond the immediate human toll, the shooting raises questions about mental health supports, trauma care capacity and the broader public health consequences for a university community. Campus shootings produce ripple effects that extend well beyond the injured, straining emergency departments, traumatizing classmates and staff, and disrupting teaching and clinical services for days and weeks. Healthcare systems and universities typically activate crisis counseling, victim services and community outreach after such events, but disparities in access can leave some survivors and community members more vulnerable to long term harm.

Advocacy groups called the shooting another urgent reminder of gaps in gun policy and prevention. Brady, a gun violence prevention organization, issued a statement condemning the attack, offering sympathy for the victims and urging policy change. Local officials and public health experts will face renewed pressure to translate such calls into concrete measures that address both immediate safety and the systemic drivers of firearm violence.

As the investigation continued into the night, authorities reiterated that information remained provisional and asked anyone with details to contact Providence police. Brown officials directed students and staff to follow university communications for updates and support resources as the campus began the slow work of accounting for those affected and beginning recovery.