Trump says Brown University shooting suspect in custody, later clarifies suspect still at large

“I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island. The FBI is on the scene. The suspect is in custody. God bless the victims and the families of the victims,” the US president said in a post on Truth Social.

He later clarified that the police had reversed their previous statement.

“The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement – The suspect is NOT in custody.”

‘We’re all thinking of and praying for the victims,’ says JD Vance

Vice President JD Vance echoed Trump’s remarks and expressed his condolences and support to the victims of the shooting.

“Terrible news out of Rhode Island this evening. We’re all monitoring the situation, and the FBI stands ready to do anything to help. We’re all thinking of and praying for the victims tonight,” he said in a post on X.

Terrible news out of Rhode Island this evening. We’re all monitoring the situation and the FBI stands ready to do anything to help.

We’re all thinking of and praying for the victims tonight.

— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 13, 2025

The police in the United States’ Rhode Island were searching for a suspect in a shooting at Brown University in Providence in which two people died, and eight were critically wounded at the Ivy League school, officials told news agency AP.

Streets around the school campus remained blocked for hours after the shooting while law enforcement officials heightened security around the city as police continued their manhunt.

Providence officials told reporters at a news conference that police were looking for a male dressed in black and were scouring local video cameras in the area for footage to get a better description of the suspect, AP quoted.

According to officials, the gunman escaped after shooting people at Brown’s Barus & Holley engineering building, where exams were underway at the time.

“We are a week and a half away from Christmas. And two people died today and another eight are in the hospital,” Mayor Brett Smiley said. “So please pray for those families.”