The BareStory
A manhunt is underway for an unidentified gunman who killed two students and injured nine others in a shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 13. The deceased have been identified as students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. The attack occurred in the Barus & Holley building during the university's finals week. As of Wednesday, the suspect remained at large.
The investigation has been challenged by a lack of surveillance video from inside the building. The Providence Police Chief, Col. Oscar Perez, stated that no cameras captured the gunman within the facility. In response to questions about campus security, a university spokesperson said Brown has over 1,200 cameras across its campus but that coverage does not extend to all classrooms and hallways. Authorities have released images of a person of interest seen in the area and are asking for public assistance.
Former FBI officials have publicly criticized the handling of the investigation. Retired FBI Special Agent Stuart Kaplan described an early decision to give an "all-clear" allowing students to leave for the holidays as "reprehensible," and called the press briefings a "circus-like environment." Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent James Gagliano questioned the lack of better video evidence from the campus's many cameras and stated the poor public messaging "defies credulity."
According to one report, Brown's vice president for public safety, Rodney Chatman, stated that three campus sirens did not activate during the attack due to the speed of the event. In October, two campus police unions had issued votes of "no confidence" in Chatman's leadership. The university had previously announced a $29 million budget deficit in September, leading to layoffs and "modest, temporary reductions in information technology and facilities renewal." Summaries stated the university did not respond to questions about whether these cuts impacted security systems.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• An active manhunt for the armed suspect in Providence creates a public safety risk, with authorities asking for public help to identify a person of interest.
• Disclosed security gaps, like siren failures and limited camera coverage, may prompt other universities nationwide to review their own emergency systems and security budgets.
• The debate over a university's budget cuts and potential security lapses could influence how students and parents assess the safety of educational institutions.
• Public criticism of the investigation by former FBI officials may affect public confidence in how law enforcement agencies manage and communicate during major crisis events.
