PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The search for the gunman who opened fire inside a Brown University classroom during final exams intensified Tuesday as federal and local investigators combed through snow-covered campus grounds and released clearer images of a suspect captured on surveillance footage two hours before the attack.
The two students killed in the shooting have been identified as MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, and Ella Cook, 19, according to NPR. Cook was vice president of the Brown College Republicans, while Umurzokov had recently graduated from Midlothian High School in Virginia before starting at Brown.
The shooting occurred around 4:05 p.m. Saturday in Room 166 of the Barus and Holley engineering building, where students were attending an economics review session ahead of final exams. Seven victims remained in critical but stable condition Sunday, while one was in critical condition, according to Brown University President Christina Paxson. A ninth victim was treated and discharged.
“Our community is strong, and we’ll get through it,” Paxson said in a Sunday press briefing.
In a stunning development, authorities released a 24-year-old who was briefly held as a person of interest Sunday evening, effectively resetting the investigation. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha acknowledged the setback at a Sunday night press conference, stating that evidence now pointed in a different direction.
“We have a murderer out there,” Neronha said at a Sunday evening news conference.
The release came after FBI agents raided a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, approximately 20 miles from Providence, early Sunday morning. Neronha told ABC’s “GMA3” that scientific evidence, after analysis, made clear the detained individual should not be held in connection with the case.
New leads emerge after mistaken arrest
On Monday afternoon, authorities released new surveillance footage and photos showing a different person of interest. The FBI described the individual as approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build. The images, captured around 2 p.m. Saturday near Hope and Benevolent streets, show a person wearing dark clothing and a mask covering the lower half of their face.
Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez revealed that a 9mm firearm was used in the shooting. He emphasized the urgency of the investigation as it surpassed its 49th hour Monday afternoon.
“I’m hoping that based on the images and video that we just released that someone is going to be able to identify this individual,” Perez said at a news conference.
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect, who authorities believe is armed and dangerous.
A search effort by all
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency deployed additional resources Monday to track down leads, canvass neighborhoods, and develop intelligence. Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team were observed using K-9 units to search bushes and raking through snow-covered ground near the crime scene.
More than 400 police officers initially responded to the incident, joined by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI. Investigators have been going door to door in Providence neighborhoods, asking residents and businesses for video footage from security cameras and smart doorbells.
An anxious community shares criticism
The investigation has drawn criticism from some Rhode Island residents concerned about campus security. Rhode Islanders expressed zero faith in the security system, questioning how a university with an annual tuition of $70,000 lacks adequate surveillance footage.
“There are thousands of cameras in that neighborhood and around campus — I don’t understand how this could go amiss,” said Eve Stieglitz, whose parents live near Brown University.
Attorney General Neronha defended the lack of camera coverage, explaining that the building where the shooting occurred is old and attached to a newer structure.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced increased police patrols throughout the city and around schools to provide reassurance to the community. He emphasized that while no specific threats have been identified, the enhanced presence aims to maintain public safety as the investigation continues.
Brown University canceled all remaining fall semester classes and exams following the attack. The university also delayed admissions decisions by up to 48 hours to focus on supporting the community.
President Paxson described the shooting as a deeply tragic day for Brown and the local community. The university has enhanced campus security amid what officials described as an uptick in swatting calls and unsubstantiated threats.
The shooting occurred just one day before the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Sandy Hook Promise, an anti-gun violence nonprofit, released a statement noting that college students today were in elementary school in 2012 and represent a generation that has grown up with threats of school shootings.
President Donald Trump offered condolences to the victims and their families during remarks at the White House Sunday, calling Brown “a great school.”
Investigators asks for help
Authorities said the gunman “definitely targeted” Brown University, though they are investigating whether there were additional motives, according to Chief Perez at a Monday news conference.
Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee announced that state agencies overseeing K-12 schools and higher education are reassessing safety measures at all educational institutions statewide.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact investigators through the FBI’s tip center at FBI.gov/BrownUniversityShooting or by calling the Providence police non-emergency number at 401-272-3121.
