Brown University’s campus in Providence, Rhode Island, was put on high alert on Saturday, December 13, 2025, after reports of an active shooter near the School of Engineering. Authorities swiftly responded to the situation at the Ivy League school, which was in the midst of its final exam period for the fall semester.
Incident Details and Resolution
The university’s alert system, BrownUAlert, first notified the campus community of the threat in the late afternoon:
* Location: The active shooter situation was reported near the Barus & Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and the Physics Department.
* Timeline: The school issued its initial shelter-in-place alert at 4:22 p.m. EST.
* Police Response: Brown University Police and Providence Police were immediately dispatched and arrived on the scene. The Providence Police Department had urged the public to avoid the area.
* Suspect In Custody: About 30 minutes after the initial alert, the university issued an update confirming that one suspect was in custody. Despite the arrest, the alert urged those on campus to continue sheltering-in-place as a precaution.
Status and Unknowns
As of the latest reports, officials were still gathering information from the active scene.
* Injuries: No information has been released regarding whether there were any injuries associated with the incident.
* Safety Measures: The university’s emergency alerts directed students and staff to “Lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice”.
The Ivy League institution, which has approximately 10,000 students, faced a lockdown during a crucial time in its academic calendar.
