Person of interest detained after Brown University shooting, campus shelter lifted

Authorities detained a person of interest in connection with a shooting at Brown University early Sunday, ending an overnight lockdown that left a campus grieving and investigators continuing to process evidence. The shooting late Saturday afternoon occurred at about 4:00 p.m. local time in the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Engineering Center on the eastern edge of Brown’s Providence campus. Two members of the university community were killed and nine others were injured.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said in early Sunday updates that seven of the injured remained in stable condition, one remained in critical condition, and one had been discharged. Brown University leadership said the campus was "in deep mourning" after the fatalities and that its Department of Public Safety was coordinating with city, state and federal authorities.

Police released closed circuit footage showing a male suspect walking away from the building in all black clothing. A sweep of the building did not locate a firearm, and investigators said the scene remained under active processing as they followed leads. Authorities said more than 400 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies participated in the overnight search and tip taking.

Early Sunday authorities detained a man at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 28 miles south of Providence. Law enforcement sources identified the detainee as 24 year old Benjamin Erickson of Wisconsin. Officials said the detention occurred at about 3:45 a.m. and was based in part on cellphone geolocation data matched to investigative leads and a Providence Police tip, a development the FBI director noted in a post on the social media platform X. Multiple law enforcement sources said the individual was found in possession of two firearms at the time he was taken into custody. Investigators stressed that formal charges had not been publicly filed as of Sunday morning and that the status of evidence remains under review.

The detection and use of cellphone geolocation information highlights both the capabilities and the unanswered legal and policy questions that arise in modern investigations. Law enforcement agencies say such data can be decisive for rapid public safety responses, while privacy advocates and some legal scholars urge clearer public explanations about the legal processes used to obtain location information and the safeguards in place to prevent misuse.

Brown University officials lifted the campus shelter in place order on Sunday morning after the detention, while urging the community to attend a scheduled vigil and to use campus counseling resources. The university and municipal authorities said they would continue coordinating updates as the investigation proceeds.

As investigators continue to comb evidence at the engineering center and seek to determine what led to the attack, public officials face immediate policy decisions about transparency in the handling of geolocation data, the adequacy of campus security protocols, and the communication of risks to students and families. Prosecutors will ultimately determine whether the detained individual will face criminal charges as authorities move from an emergency response to a longer term inquiry.