Authorities are hunting for a assailant who killed two students and hurt nine others at Brown University.
Police describe the attacker as a man wearing black clothing who escaped by running, and a shelter-in-place warning is active for the vicinity of the university.
This tragic event brings the tally of incidents with multiple victims in the US to 389 for 2025, according to an independent analysis documenting such events.
These events are generally categorized as having at least four victims killed or injured, not counting the shooter.
The Sequence of Events
The gunman opened fire in a classroom at around 16:00 local time on Saturday at the Barus and Holley building at the eastern part of the school.
Final exams were taking place in the structure at the time of the attack.
The engineering building contains 117 laboratories, several teaching rooms and three lecture halls.
An economics professor informed a local public media outlet that the shooting had taken place during a review session for her course.
"The TA said that the individual walked through the doorway, shouted - he was unsure of what - and opened fire," the professor said.
"Students started to scramble to try to get away from the gunman, trying to get lower down in the tiered seats, and individuals got shot," she added.
Two people working in the close by university library when the alert sounded said they "stayed away from the openings" as they waited for a police escort.
Officers swept the area, instructed them to drop their bags and show their hands before exiting the library.
The school, one of the most historic universities in the US, is part of the Ivy League.
The university, which has over 11,000 enrollees, is based in the capital city.
Details on Those Affected
Two young adults were lost their lives, and a further nine people are in hospital.
Medical personnel say a victim is in a critical state, six are "stable but critical", and two others are sustained minor injuries.
The identities of those affected have not been disclosed, but the campus head told the media that all the victims were enrolled individuals.
"This is a time that we wished never would come to our family. It is extremely heartbreaking for all of us," she said in a statement.
A ninth person did not sustain a gunshot wound, as stated by authorities, who said they incurred non-life threatening injuries from debris from the gunfire.
Identifying the Attacker
Very little is understood about the gunman so far, but police have published surveillance images of a individual walking away from the site wearing dark clothes.
There is no gun seen in the recording, and his face is obscured.
Investigators also say a gun was not found in a inspection of the structure.
Investigators do not currently know if the gunman was a enrollee, but a police deputy chief said the person was a male who was wearing black and seemed in his thirties.
"We're deploying all available means possible to apprehend this individual," he said.
Some bystanders reportedly informed authorities he was possibly wearing a concealing face covering.
One person was taken into custody before police determined they were uninvolved in the incident and let go of them.
Ongoing Situation
A large-scale effort with police and federal agents is now ongoing as around 400 officers try to locate the suspect.
Residents and students close to the university have been instructed to stay at home and stay inside, or to avoid the area until the advisory is lifted.
Students in the vicinity said they planned to stay at home until the situation stabilizes and the gunman is apprehended.
The US President, talking to reporters, described the incident as "a horrific event".
"The main thing right now is send thoughts to the victims and for those that were seriously injured," he said.
