Law enforcement officers detained a person of interest on Sunday in the shooting that left 2 dead and 9 injured at Brown University.
A source familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that the person of interest is named Benjamin Erickson. Authorities have not released any other details about him or a potential motive.
As of Sunday evening, Erickson had not been charged with a crime, according to Providence Police.
In the frenzied hours after the shooting on Saturday, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told people on or near Brown’s campus to shelter in place overnight. But Providence Police said they detained a person of interest in the wee hours of Sunday morning, which allowed Smiley to lift the shelter-in-place order at 7 a.m.
Eight people remained hospitalized, Smiley said at a noon press conference. Seven were listed as being in stable condition and one person in “critical but stable condition.”
In the midday briefing, officials said they would not release names of the victims until family members could be contacted.
Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez refused to share any details about the person in custody or where they were taken into custody, saying the investigation into the shooting was ongoing. He stressed that federal, state and local law enforcement worked together through the night to investigate the shooting and locate the person of interest.
“The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning,” Smiley said.
He said people should expect to see a heightened police presence around Providence, but said that does not indicate additional threats.
“We don’t want that to be alarming,” Smiley said, “we want that to be reassuring.”
An emotional Smiley said city officials, police and other local law enforcement agencies train for mass-shooter situations. But it is still shocking when it happens.
“I think maybe intellectually we knew it could happen anywhere including here, but that’s not the same as it happening in our community,” Smiley said. “And so this is an incredibly upsetting and emotional time for Providence, for Brown, for all of us.”
Brown President Christina Paxson said in a statement Sunday morning that, of the eight students still hospitalized after the shooting, seven are in “critical but stable condition,” while one remains in “critical” condition.
Paxson also shared that academic activities for the rest of the semester have been canceled.
“Given these deeply tragic events, all remaining undergraduate, graduate and medical classes, exams, and papers or projects for the Fall 2025 semester will not take place as scheduled,” she said.
Brown University Provost Francis Doyle sent a message to Brown students Sunday afternoon saying they would be able to choose to accept grades based on their work so far in the class or finish their finals and papers remotely. Either way, Doyle’s email said, students can elect to switch their classes to a pass/fail grade.
Rachel Friedberg, a Brown University professor of Economics told Ocean State Media on Saturday that the shooting happened in a review session for her Principles of Economics class, and several students confirmed that in interviews Sunday. Friedberg did not witness the shooting, but came to Rhode Island Hospital to comfort her students Saturday, and spoke with her teaching assistant, who was present at the shooting.
