A night of study at Brown University in Rhode Island shattered into terror as gunfire erupted within an engineering building, leaving two students dead and nine others wounded. The shooting unfolded around 9pm local time, sending a wave of panic through the prestigious Ivy League campus.
Students, many preparing for a final economics exam review, were seen fleeing the building, their faces etched with fear. Initial reports of a second shooting nearby proved false, but the initial chaos fueled widespread anxiety and a swift lockdown of the campus and surrounding areas.
Authorities quickly released CCTV footage of a potential suspect, a figure walking away from the scene with their back to the camera. The individual, described as being in their 30s and wearing dark clothing or grey camouflage, remains at large as the investigation intensifies.
The university president reported a grim tally of injuries: six students in critical but stable condition, one in critical condition, and one in stable condition. Thankfully, one injured student has since been discharged from the hospital, offering a small measure of relief amidst the tragedy.
For Zoe Weissman, a sophomore at Brown, the horror resonated with a past trauma. Having survived the 2018 shooting at Parkland High School in Florida, she expressed a heartbreaking sense of déjà vu, lamenting that young people in America are repeatedly forced to endure such unimaginable events.
Online, students turned to social media and university forums to share their fear and grief. One student poignantly wrote about the agonizing experience of checking on friends, and called for accountability from those in power.
A campus-wide alert warned students of an active shooter near Barus and Holley Engineering, instructing them to lock doors, silence phones, and hide until further notice. The message underscored the immediate and terrifying reality unfolding on campus.
Leaders responded with expressions of sorrow and support. Governor Dan McKee called the shooting an “unthinkable tragedy,” while the university president emphasized the importance of community and mutual support in the wake of the devastation.
This incident marks the first mass shooting at an Ivy League university, a stark reminder of the escalating gun violence crisis gripping the nation. With at least 229 school shootings recorded this year alone, the need for change has never been more urgent.
