Person of interest detained over Brown University shooting, official says

A person of interest has been detained in connection with a US shooting at Brown University that left two people dead, police said.

Nine others were injured when a gunman opened fire at the university in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday.

Police confirmed on Sunday a person had been detained, and an earlier order for people on the Brown campus and surrounding areas to shelter had been lifted.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said seven people remained in stable condition, one of them was in critical but stable condition, and another was discharged.

The gunman opened fire in a classroom at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday at the Holley engineering building at the eastern end of Brown’s campus, according to officials.

The identities of those killed or injured have not yet been released, but Brown University President Christina Paxson told reporters in a press briefing on Saturday that all the victims, including those killed and wounded, were students.

In a statement released by the university on Sunday, Paxson said that some areas of campus were still restricted as police continued their investigations.

Around 2,000 students were relocated to safe locations overnight, she said, adding that she was “deeply moved” by students and locals who opened up their homes, Paxson said.

She added that the families of the two students killed were being supported.

“There are not enough words of comfort for families who lose a child, but we will do all we can,” she said.

Police had earlier released CCTV footage of a male suspect walking away from the scene wearing all black clothing. Officers said a firearm was not found in a sweep of the building.

The suspect was arrested at a hotel overnight and taken to custody, a law enforcement source told the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

They added that he is not currently enrolled as a student at Brown.

Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez said the suspect was in his 30’s but did not provide further details.

Perez confirmed on Sunday that officers were not looking for anyone else and were working with prosecutors to collect evidence.

Smiley said the city should be able to “breathe a little easier” after the shelter order was lifted.

“We have trained for this moment, but this is not something that any community should have to train for,” he added.

Hundreds of police officers and federal agents were sent to Providence on Saturday to find the suspect.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, President Donald Trump said the shooting was a “terrible thing”.

The attack on the Ivy League university brings the number of mass shootings to 389 in the US for this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

It defines mass shootings as having four or more victims killed or injured, not including the attacker.