Police in Providence have intensified their investigation into the deadly shooting at Brown University, releasing an enhanced video timeline and clearer images of a masked suspect. The attack on Saturday resulted in two students killed and nine others wounded. Despite a massive search operation involving local police, the FBI, and state authorities, no arrests have been made yet.
Enhanced Video Timeline Reveals Suspect's Movements
At a news conference on Tuesday, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez presented what he called an "enhanced" compilation of surveillance footage. The video, stitched together from various home security cameras, tracks a person of interest moving around the Brown campus and nearby streets for about an hour. The footage begins shortly after 2 pm and shows the suspect within a few blocks of the engineering building where the shooting occurred at 4:03 pm.
In all released clips, the suspect's face is either masked or turned away from cameras. Authorities have provided a broad description: a stocky individual, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing dark or brown clothing, including a jacket, hat, gloves, and carrying a shoulder bag. The video shows the person passing the same properties multiple times and, in one instance, abruptly turning and running in the opposite direction when someone approaches.
Footage from minutes after the shooting captures the individual walking away from a parking lot and continuing along a nearby street. Chief Perez stated that investigators believe the suspect was "casing" the area before the attack, behavior typical of criminals preparing for such an incident.
Investigation Faces Challenges Despite Hundreds of Tips
The joint investigation team has received around 200 tips from the public so far. Officers are meticulously canvassing homes, yards, and dumpsters in surrounding neighborhoods, urging residents to recheck their camera systems for any fleeting image that could aid identification. "We're looking for a moment that is shorter than someone taking a breath," Perez emphasized.
A significant hurdle has emerged regarding campus security. Despite Brown University having roughly 1,200 campus cameras, officials confirmed there is no clear footage from inside the engineering building itself. This gap has frustrated investigators and sparked broader concerns about security measures on campus.
Attorney General Peter Neronha said the investigation was progressing "really well" but urged public patience, warning against speculation about the motive or ideology behind the attack. Brown University President Christina Paxson defended the institution's emergency response, explaining that campus sirens were not activated to avoid potentially driving people toward the danger instead of away from it.
A City on Edge as Victims Are Identified
Providence remained tense on Tuesday, with extra police deployed to schools and all after-school activities canceled as a precaution. Parents expressed fear, while students questioned whether security measures alone could prevent such violence.
Details about the victims have begun to emerge. Two wounded students have been released from the hospital, while others remain in critical or stable condition. The attack claimed the lives of two young students:
- Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore described by her church as a bright and uplifting presence.
- MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, a freshman majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience. He had long dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon after overcoming serious health challenges as a child.
The manhunt for the suspect continues as a grieving university community and a nervous city await answers.
