(New York) Two people were killed and eight others injured in gunfire Saturday near Brown University, police said. The prestigious university had issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.
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Police did not immediately release details on the number of victims, their condition or the circumstances of the shooting. The official who reported at least two deaths could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect had been arrested, before clarifying that was not the case and that police were still searching for one or more suspects, according to alerts broadcast through Brown’s emergency notification system.
“We’re continuing to gather information about what’s going on, but we’re just asking people to lock their doors and stay vigilant,” said Providence City Council member John Goncalves, whose district includes Brown’s campus.
PHOTO JEN MCDERMOTT, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Police officers and first responders gather at the corner of Waterman Street and Thayer Street
“As a Brown alumnus, as someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I am deeply saddened. My thoughts are with all the families and everyone who has been affected,” he added.
The shooting reportedly took place near the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s college of engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.
President Donald Trump said late in the afternoon that he had been informed of the shooting. “God bless the victims and their families!” “, he said on his social media account.
POST FROM DONALD TRUMP’S TRUTH SOCIAL ACCOUNT
Students were asked to shelter in place while police responded to the scene. Officials cautioned that information remains preliminary as investigators work to determine what happened.
Police were investigating and continuing to gather information at the scene, said Kristy DosReis, public information officer for the city of Providence.
Brown University is a private, nonprofit Ivy League institution with approximately 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students.
