FBI Releases Footage Showing Suspected Brown University Shooter Scouting Campus Ahead of Deadly Attack
Providence, Rhode Island — Federal investigators have unveiled new surveillance footage depicting a individual believed to be the gunman who carried out a deadly shooting at Brown University, appearing to survey areas near the campus prior to the incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), working alongside the Providence Police Department and Rhode Island State Police, released a video timeline and an enhanced clip capturing the suspect’s movements on Providence’s East Side in the afternoon before the December 13 attack. The footage shows a person dressed in dark clothing walking along sidewalks for approximately one hour starting shortly after 2 p.m., in streets just blocks from the university’s engineering building where the shooting took place.
In the videos, the suspect’s face remains obscured—either masked or turned away—limiting authorities to a general description: a stocky build and roughly 5 feet 8 inches tall. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the individual’s identification and arrest, urging tips through 1-800-CALL-FBI, tips.fbi.gov, or the Providence Police Department at 401-272-3121.
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The attack occurred during final exams when the gunman entered an unlocked engineering building, opened fire with a 9mm handgun inside a classroom, killed two students, and injured nine others before escaping. The incident prompted a prolonged campus lockdown, with students barricading doors or hiding under furniture.
A previously detained person of interest was released, and no new leads on the shooter’s identity have been announced. Police have received around 200 tips and continue searching homes, yards, and dumpsters in the area while encouraging residents to review personal security cameras.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha described the investigation as progressing “really well” and urged patience, cautioning against speculation on motives tied to ethnicity, politics, or culture, calling it “a dangerous road to go down.”
The shooting has sparked scrutiny over campus security, including insufficient surveillance cameras and unlocked doors. Brown University, home to nearly 11,000 students and one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious institutions, has since doubled its public safety staffing and restricted building access.