In brief
A tragic mass shooting incident at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, resulted in two fatalities and several injuries. Witnesses reported chaos during a review session when a gunman opened fire in a classroom. The university has since gone into lockdown and a search for the suspect is ongoing.
A manhunt is under way after two students were killed and nine other people were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
The gunman opened fire in a classroom at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday, in a building where exams were taking place.
The university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the US, was placed into lockdown as police searched for the gunman, who remains at large.
Students in parts of the campus are continuing to be told to shelter in place until police can escort them out of the area.
Officials from Rhode Island Hospital reported that most of the injured are in a critical but stable condition.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
This is a day that we hoped never would come to our community. It is deeply devastating for all of us, stated Brown University President Christina Paxson.
CCTV footage showed the suspect, who remains unidentified, calmly leaving the building after the attack. Police described him as wearing all black and possibly a mask, with no weapon recovered so far.
Deputy Police Chief Tim O'Hara assured, We're utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect, as multiple law enforcement agencies assist in the search.
The shooting occurred in the Barus and Holley building during an economics class review session, where students scrambled to hide as the attack unfolded.
In response to the shooting, local businesses were evacuated and have locked down as safety measures, with a significant police presence around the campus.
This incident marks a grim statistic as it adds to the record number of mass shootings in the US this year, currently reported at 389.
