‘Person of interest’ detained over Brown University shooting, official says

A person of interest has been detained in connection with a US shooting at Brown University that left two people dead, police said.

Nine others were injured when a gunman opened fire at the university in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday.

Police confirmed on Sunday a person had been detained, and an earlier order for people on the Brown campus and surrounding areas to shelter had been lifted.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said seven people remained in stable condition, one of them was in critical but stable condition, and another was discharged.

The gunman opened fire in a classroom at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday at the Holley engineering building at the eastern end of Brown’s campus, according to officials.

The identities of those killed or injured have not yet been released, but Brown University President Christina Paxson told reporters in a press briefing on Saturday that all the victims, including those killed and wounded, were students.

Police had earlier released CCTV footage of a male suspect walking away from the scene wearing all black clothing. Officers said a firearm was not found in a sweep of the building.

After the person was detained on Sunday, police chief Oscar Perez confirmed officers were not looking for anyone else and were working with prosecutors to collect evidence.

Smiley said the city should be able to “breathe a little easier” after the shelter order was lifted.

“We have trained for this moment, but this is not something that any community should have to train for,” he added.

Brown’s university President Christina Paxson said the city had a “long recovery ahead”.