By Harshit
PROVIDENCE, Dec. 18 — 8 AM EDT
Manhunt Continues Days After Campus Attack
Authorities in Providence are intensifying their search for the gunman responsible for a deadly shooting at Brown University, as police confirm the suspect remains at large nearly a week after the attack that killed two students and injured nine others.
Providence Police Chief Oscar L. Perez Jr. said investigators are now relying heavily on public assistance, urging residents to review security footage, dashcam recordings, and doorbell camera video from the days leading up to the shooting.
“This is a very intense investigation,” Perez said at a news conference Wednesday. “It’s going to take 21st-century policing, but it’s also going to take good old-fashioned police work — knocking on doors and talking to the community.”
Police Release Map and New Person-of-Interest Request
As part of the expanding investigation, police released a map outlining streets where the person of interest was seen in the hours before the shooting. Authorities also asked for help identifying another individual who crossed paths with the suspect, believing that interaction could be critical.
Officials emphasized that suspects often scout locations in advance, suggesting the shooter may have visited the campus area earlier than initially believed.
“They do case the areas. They do a lot of prior checking,” Perez said. “We truly believe he may have been there prior, and we don’t want to miss anything.”
Residents with camera-equipped vehicles, including Teslas, have been asked to submit footage dating back at least one week before the attack.
Questions Raised Over Early Missteps
Law enforcement acknowledged that an early focus on a different person of interest, who has since been cleared, may have delayed the investigation by up to a day. That delay, combined with limited security camera coverage near the building where the shooting occurred, has drawn scrutiny from both state and federal officials.
The shooting unfolded inside the Barus & Holley building, located at the edge of Brown’s campus. Questions about unlocked exterior doors and surveillance blind spots have sparked concern, including from the White House, officials confirmed.
Despite the challenges, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said investigators remain confident.
“We’re not discouraged,” Neronha said. “This investigation will continue until the suspect is captured.”
Students Caught in Final Exam Review Session
University officials said the shooting occurred during a voluntary final exam review session, complicating efforts to quickly determine who was inside the classroom at the time.
Unlike final exams, review sessions do not require attendance rosters.
“If it had been a final, we would know exactly who was in the room,” Brown Provost Francis Doyle said. “But this was optional, and that has slowed the process.”
One of the students killed, MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, was attending a session for a class he was not enrolled in, according to a close friend.
“He just tagged along to keep his friends company,” the friend said. “That’s the kind of person he was.”
Students Describe Fear and Lockdowns
Students across campus described hours-long lockdowns, barricading themselves in classrooms and libraries while police searched buildings.
“We were all pretty scared,” said freshman Arjun Puri, who hid with friends for nearly an hour in a darkened classroom. “You’re just thinking — are they going to come upstairs, or will police find us first?”
Others spent five hours barricaded behind flipped couches and stacked chairs in nearby buildings. Many relied on internal student messaging apps and social media before official alerts arrived.
Community Cooperation Central to Investigation
Former FBI assistant director Kieran Ramsey, who led the Boston Marathon bombing task force, praised Providence authorities for their coordinated response, noting that lessons from past mass-casualty events are shaping the investigation.
“Law enforcement is absolutely unified,” Ramsey said. “They’re using every tool available, and now that includes enlisting the public.”
The FBI has launched a tip submission site, and Providence police have opened dedicated phone lines for witnesses.
Campus Grieves as Classes Are Canceled
Brown University canceled classes and exams following the shooting as students and faculty mourn the loss of two classmates. Counseling services have been expanded, and vigils continue across campus.
University President Christina Paxson called the incident an “unimaginably tragic day” and thanked students for supporting one another.
Authorities stressed there is no evidence yet that the shooting targeted a specific individual.
Search Remains Active
Chief Perez said the manhunt will not stop until the suspect is found.
“A person is going to get caught,” he said. “It could be tomorrow. It could take longer. But we are not stopping.”