As of today, brown university police and other responding law enforcement agencies are investigating an active shooter report near Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, after the university confirmed multiple shooting victims and issued urgent shelter-in-place instructions.
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What happened near Barus & Holley Engineering
Brown’s emergency notifications reported an active shooter incident near Barus & Holley Engineering on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The first urgent alert went out at 4:22 p.m. local time, instructing people in the area to lock doors, silence phones, stay hidden, and follow “Run, Hide, Fight” guidance depending on their immediate circumstances.
The situation was treated as an active crime scene, with police activity centered around the area near the engineering complex. University messaging emphasized staying away from the Barus & Holley area while law enforcement searched for the suspect.
Confirmed victims and medical response
The university confirmed multiple shooting victims and reported that victims were transported to local hospitals. At the time of the university’s updates, officials said they did not yet have information they could share about the victims’ conditions.
Emergency medical personnel were reported on scene as the response unfolded, and the university stated it was coordinating closely with public safety and medical teams as part of the incident response.
Suspect status and the search
A key confirmed point from the official updates: police did not have a suspect in custody as of the updates posted during the incident. The university told the campus community that law enforcement continued to search for the suspect or suspects and that multiple agencies were involved on site.
This mattered operationally because it shaped the guidance to remain sheltered and avoid the area while officers worked the scene.
Shelter-in-place orders and campus instructions
The emergency instructions remained consistent across updates: continue to shelter in place.
People were told to lock down indoors and stay alert for additional official information. The university also noted that senior administrative leaders convened in an emergency command posture to manage response actions, communication, and support services.
Final exams and building activity at the time
Brown’s emergency messaging stated that multiple exams were scheduled in Barus & Holley during the afternoon window, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., which increased the number of students potentially affected in and around the building at that time.
The university said it began working to determine who was in the building when the shooting occurred and reported that support services were on site. It also stated that some students were relocated to a secure location where support services were available.
Report of additional shots near Governor Street, then a correction
During the unfolding response, the university issued an urgent alert at 5:27 p.m. reporting shots fired near Governor Street and told the community to continue sheltering in place.
Later, at 6:10 p.m., the university posted that the earlier report of a secondary shooting incident near Governor Street was unfounded. Even with that correction, officials emphasized that it remained critical to shelter in place due to the original situation and the ongoing search.
How brown university police fit into the response
When people search for brown university police, they’re often looking for who handles campus incidents and how the university coordinates with city responders. Brown’s public safety apparatus operates within a broader emergency framework, and the official updates stressed coordination with local law enforcement and emergency medical personnel.
In practical terms, that means campus public safety and police functions focus on immediate campus alerts, access control, and student support logistics, while the broader law enforcement response manages scene security, searches, and investigative actions.
What is not confirmed in official updates
In fast-moving incidents, rumors can spread quickly. Based on the official university emergency information shared during the event, several specifics were not provided in confirmed form at the time of those updates, including:
- An exact number of people shot
- Whether there were fatalities
- Any confirmed identity information about victims or a suspect
- A confirmed motive or sequence beyond the immediate alerts and scene status
If additional details are released later by investigators or through official briefings, those would be the appropriate points to update. For now, the most reliable confirmed information remains the time-stamped emergency messaging and the fact of multiple victims transported to hospitals, with the suspect not confirmed in custody during the posted updates.
What to watch for next
For readers in the U.S. following this story, the next meaningful confirmed developments typically come in a few forms:
- A law enforcement briefing confirming suspect status (in custody or still at large)
- Verified victim updates from officials once families are notified
- Clarification on whether the incident involved one location or multiple scenes
- Campus operations updates, including exam schedules, building access, and support services
Until those items are officially confirmed, the key public guidance remains straightforward: avoid the area, follow instructions from law enforcement, and rely on official emergency communications for safety direction.
