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Brown University Public Safety Chief Placed on Leave After Deadly Campus Shooting

2025-12-23

The BareStory

A shooting at Brown University on December 13 left two people dead and nine injured. Authorities identified the alleged gunman as 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente. The attack occurred at the university's Barus and Holley building, and five of the wounded were reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital. According to one account, after the campus shooting, Neves Valente killed a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later died by suicide.

Following the incident, Brown University’s Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management, Rodney Chatman, was placed on administrative leave. The decision followed statements from a university custodian, Derek Lisi, who said he had seen a suspicious person, later identified as the alleged gunman, nearly a dozen times before the attack. Lisi claimed he reported his concerns to staff from a university contractor whom he mistook for security. The president of the contracting company stated his employees are not security and that Lisi was told to call campus police, which Lisi said he could not recall.

The university’s response has drawn criticism, with reports of a nearly 20-minute delay in sending an emergency alert and the failure of campus sirens to sound. University President Christina H. Paxson announced an external "After-Action Review" and plans for security enhancements, including additional cameras. The university has retained former U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha to assist in coordinating with law enforcement agencies as it prepares for potential lawsuits.

In response to the shooting, the U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into potential violations of the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that the department is reviewing whether Brown University upheld its legal obligations.

Left Perspective

  • A university employee claims to have reported the suspicious individual multiple times before the attack.
  • The university's emergency notification system experienced significant delays and failures during the incident.
  • Federal authorities have opened an investigation into the university for potential campus safety violations.

Right Perspective

  • The university took immediate personnel action by placing its top public safety official on leave.
  • University leadership has initiated an external review and is planning to implement security upgrades.
  • The administration is preparing for potential legal proceedings and is coordinating with law enforcement.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Colleges nationwide may review their emergency alert systems and security protocols, following the reported response delays and communication failures detailed in the article.

• The federal investigation into potential Clery Act violations could lead to stricter enforcement of campus safety and timely warning laws for all U.S. universities.

• The incident may prompt institutions to re-evaluate the training of non-security staff and contractors on how to handle reports of suspicious individuals on campus.

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