U.S. authorities continue to search for the gunman who killed two Brown University students four days ago, leaving the city of Providence, Rhode Island, on high alert as there is still no breakthrough in identifying the shooter.
Reuters reported on Thursday, the perpetrator opened fire inside a classroom before fleeing into surrounding streets, and investigators have yet to determine his identity or motive.
“This is outside of the norm,” said Felipe Rodriguez, a former New York Police detective and current lecturer at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“Mass shooters, by large, are usually killed at the scene or quickly captured.” Residents have responded with heightened caution, keeping children home from school and remaining behind locked doors while authorities intensify the manhunt.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez described the investigation as “probably the most intense investigation that we have in this nation.”
Investigators have released security footage of a masked individual believed to be the shooter, captured by residential doorbell cameras near the campus both before and after the attack.
Perez urged anyone with information or relevant security footage to come forward, emphasising, “He could be anywhere. We still don’t know who the person is or where he is.”
At a press conference, Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged the community’s unease, saying he shared the feelings of students and residents who were “restless and eager” for an arrest.
The shooting injured at least eight others, six of whom remain hospitalised.
In a further appeal, authorities released images of another unidentified man seen in the vicinity of the suspected shooter, describing him as someone “who may have information relevant to the investigation.”
Perez requested that members of the public assist by reporting any sightings or footage.
Earlier confusion arose when investigators briefly detained a man in his 20s, initially believed to be linked to the shooting.
He was released the same day after evidence confirmed he was not involved. Police have cited a lack of security cameras inside the classroom building and surrounding streets as a factor hampering the investigation.
While rare, cases of attackers temporarily evading capture are not unprecedented.
The Boston Marathon bombers hid for four days in 2013, culminating in further violence before being stopped.
Luigi Mangione, who assassinated a Manhattan healthcare executive last year, evaded authorities for five days before being recognised in Altoona, Pennsylvania. More recently, Tyler Robinson, suspected of shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was apprehended after a 33-hour search when a relative and family friend reported incriminating comments.
Authorities continue to urge residents in Providence to remain vigilant, check their home surveillance systems, and provide any information that could lead to the suspect’s capture, as the city remains on edge awaiting answers. - December 18, 2025
