Brown University shooting latest: Suspect in custody, police say

A suspect in the Brown University shooting has been taken into custody, police in Rhode Island said early Sunday. 

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez confirmed the news at a press conference, a day after two people were killed and nine others were injured on campus while final exams were taking place. 

First responders with the Providence Fire Department maneuver an empty stretcher near the Barus & Holley building, home to the engineering and physics departments and the site of a mass shooting, at Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Is

Brown University shooting suspect

What we know:

Perez said the suspect who is detained is in their 20s. Earlier they had said he was in his 30s. An FBI official told The Associated Press that the arrest happened at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, about 20 miles from Providence.

The shooter fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, according to a law enforcement official told AP.

Authorities as of Sunday morning hadn’t recovered a gun but did recover two loaded 30-round magazines.

What we don't know:

Police didn’t identify the suspect, nor did he say where the suspect was arrested or whether the suspect is a student or connected to the Ivy League university.

What they're saying:

"Everybody’s reeling, and we have a lot of recovery ahead of us," said Brown University President Christina Paxson said at the news conference. 

Brown University shooting latest

Big picture view:

The shooting happened Saturday afternoon in a classroom at the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website. Hundreds of police officers responded to the shooting.

Police said they weren’t sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom. Outer doors of the building were unlocked but rooms being used for final exams required badge access. 

Surveillance video released by police showed a male suspect, dressed in black, calmly walking away from the scene. His face was not visible. Some witnesses told police the suspect may have been wearing a camouflage mask when the shooting took place. 

Students were forced to shelter in place for several hours after the shooting as officers searched campus and nearby neighborhoods. Officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at the shelter on buses without jackets or any belongings.

Dig deeper:

Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.

What's next:

Providence leaders warned that residents will notice a heavier police presence on Sunday. Many local businesses announced they would remain closed and expressed shock and heartbreak as the community continued to process the news of the shooting.

 All remaining classes, exams, papers and projects are canceled at Brown for the rest of the semester. Students are free to leave.

"At this time, it is essential that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to the members of our community as we grapple with the sorrow, fear and anxiety that is impacting all of us right now," Provost Francis Doyle said in a statement.

Brown University shooting victims

Paxson said she was told 10 people who were shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting but it was not clear if the victim was a student, she said. 

Nine people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were not getting worse and two were stable, hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan said.

The backstory:

Brown, the seventh oldest higher education institution in the U.S., is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges with roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students. Tuition, housing and other fees run to nearly $100,000 per year, according to the university.

The Source: This report includes information from Providence, Rhode Island police and city officials, The Associated Press and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting.

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