Providence, Rhode Island — Continuing Inquiry After Fatal Shooting at Brown University

 Providence, alongside the Brown University community, is still reeling as officials persist with a thorough investigation into a campus shooting that resulted in two fatalities and several injuries. This unfortunate event, which transpired amid a hectic exam period, has attracted widespread national concern and triggered a significant, multijurisdictional law enforcement response.

As reported by several law enforcement officials informed about the investigation, authorities have apprehended an individual of interest related to the shooting. This individual has been named as Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old originally from Wisconsin. Officials highlight that Erickson is merely a person of interest at this stage, and no formal charges have been brought against him.

Investigative sources indicated that Erickson was arrested during an early-morning operation at a hotel located in Coventry, Rhode Island, situated about 15 miles southwest of the Brown University campus. This operation resulted from a collaborative effort among local, state, and federal entities after investigators tracked the individual’s whereabouts through cellphone geolocation technology.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the FBI's Cellular Analysis Survey Team was instrumental in identifying the person of interest. In a public announcement, Patel stated:

“As a result, early this morning, FBI Boston’s Safe Streets Task Force, aided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Coventry Police Department, took a person of interest into custody in a hotel room in Coventry, Rhode Island, following a lead provided by the Providence Police Department.”

Sources with knowledge of the operation described that officers knocked on the door to the hotel room and instructed the person to open it. Upon gaining entry, investigators interrogated him regarding his location on the day and evening of the shooting. He purportedly informed officers that he had stayed at the hotel during that entire timeframe.

During a search of the hotel room, law enforcement reportedly discovered two guns:

A revolver, and

A compact Glock handgun fitted with a laser sight.

Numerous federal law enforcement sources indicated that investigators suspect the individual traveled from Wisconsin to Rhode Island prior to the incident, although officials have yet to disclose any motive or establish a timeline publicly.

At a press briefing, Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez recognized the significant collaboration among various agencies but opted not to share additional specifics, citing the ongoing investigation.

“We have mobilized local and national resources to analyze and reconstruct the shooting scene,” Patel continued. “The FBI will maintain an exhaustive, around-the-clock effort until justice is achieved.”

Shooting Incident Overview

Authorities have verified that the shooting transpired within the Barus and Holley Engineering Building at Brown University, specifically in a classroom on the first floor. Sources indicated that this classroom was associated with Rachel Friedberg, a Faculty Associate in Brown’s Judaic Studies Program, who had previously taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

University and law enforcement representatives remarked that the assault occurred while examinations were underway, rendering the incident particularly distressing for the students and faculty present.