The FBI has shared information about a man identified as a ‘person of interest’ following the shooting at Brown University.
On Saturday (December 13) around 4pm local time, authorities responded to reports of gunfire inside the Barus & Holley engineering building on the Rhode Island campus.
During this time, college students were in the midst of exams in the stadium hall when a shooter allegedly entered and began firing.
Sadly, two individuals have been confirmed dead due to the shooting. The victims are 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov from Virginia and 19-year-old Ella Cook from Alabama. An additional nine people were taken to the hospital with injuries described as ‘critical but stable.’
Initially, officers detained a man in his 30s at a hotel in Providence. However, based on further evidence, he was released and cleared by Sunday (December 14), according to an update from Rhode Island’s Attorney General Peter Neronha as reported by CNN.
The search for the shooter continues, with the manhunt now entering its third day.
Newly released video footage shows a potential suspect wearing a mask and dark clothing walking through Providence around 2pm on the day of the attack, just hours before the tragic event.
The FBI described the person as ‘approximately 5’8” with a ‘stocky build.’
The suspect’s face is mostly obscured by a hat and mask, leaving only the eyes visible.
In several segments of the surveillance footage, captured by doorbell and CCTV cameras, the individual is seen looking around and occasionally putting hands behind his back while walking alone.
At one point, the suspect is observed placing hands into pockets while moving through the area near Hope Street between Manning and Benevolent streets.
The suspect’s noticeable gait is something authorities hope might be recognized by someone.
Andrew McCabe, former deputy director of the FBI, told CNN: “He kind of walks the same way when he’s on the sidewalk or crossing the street, and he appears to favor his left leg just slightly, not so much that it would be indicative of any sort of permanent disability, but maybe the remnant of an old surgery or a knee injury or something like that.”
“It’s those kind of details that I think could maybe trip somebody’s recollection that this is someone they know in their lives,” McCabe added.
The FBI is also offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction.
In response, the university has canceled exams, and many students have left for the holidays.
“It’s all hands on deck,” stated the Providence police chief, Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr., to reporters on Monday evening.
“We’re at the 49th hour, and there’s no one that wants to put this individual in handcuffs more than us,” he emphasized.
Brown University also released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, urging: “The Providence Police Department has asked that anyone from Brown who was in Barus & Holley on Friday or Saturday, Dec. 12-13, arrange for an interview. Even an incidental detail may be helpful in investigating.”