On Saturday afternoon, December 13, a suspect in the shooting incident at Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Island, has been identified by the police.
According to a report by NBC News on Sunday, three senior law enforcement officials involved in the investigation revealed that the individual currently detained by the police in connection to the case is 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson.
Public records have shown that as of 2024, Erickson resided in an apartment in Washington, D.C. and had lived in Wisconsin before the incident occurred.
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Castro stated that Erickson served as an infantryman in the Army from May 2021 to November 2024, with no deployment history. He later retired with an expert rank. Preliminary investigations did not indicate any prior criminal records.
Authorities disclosed that he was arrested at a hotel in Providence, about 15 miles away from the Brown University campus.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted an update on the social media platform X on Sunday, stating that the FBI’s “Mobile Analysis Investigation Team” used cell phone data to provide crucial geolocation of the suspect.
Currently, the police are investigating whether Erickson has a history of mental health issues and his connection to Brown University. Law enforcement officials mentioned that he may face charges in the next few hours.
An official video regarding the suspect has been released. At the time of the incident, a male gunman in his thirties wearing black clothes opened fire in a classroom at the Barus and Holley building where the Engineering and Physics departments are located at Brown University, then fled. The building was reportedly unlocked as final exams were taking place.
Witness videos circulating online showed students crouching on the floor between bookshelves in the university library during the shooting, accompanied by loud noises from outside. Police later conducted a search and escorted students out of the building.
The shooting resulted in two fatalities and nine injuries. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley mentioned that among the nine injured individuals, seven are currently in stable condition, one is critical but stabilized, and one has been discharged.
Brown University had initially planned to conclude the semester later this week, but following the shooting incident, all undergraduate and graduate courses as well as final exams have been canceled.