The person of interest previously detained in connection with the deadly shooting at Brown University has been released, officials have confirmed as of Sunday, December 14, as investigators acknowledged the case has shifted and the search for the shooter is ongoing.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the individual taken into custody was released after investigators determined the evidence no longer supported holding him, per CNN.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha also confirmed that law enforcement reassessed the situation and concluded that information gathered overnight “now points in a different direction.”
With that decision, authorities are effectively resetting key parts of the investigation. CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI special agent Steve Moore said the process now requires a reexamination of how earlier conclusions were reached.
“You pretty much have to throw out, not the evidence, but the conclusions from the evidence,” Moore said, adding that investigators must approach the case again as if reviewing it for the first time.
Despite the uncertainty, Moore noted that there have been no additional attacks, which may indicate there is no immediate threat.
Brown University echoed that assessment in a statement released on Sunday, December 14, saying there is “no basis” to consider the released man a person of interest.
University officials said local police have advised that they do not believe there is an immediate threat to the campus or the surrounding area. However, a heightened law enforcement presence remains in place as the investigation continues.
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon at Brown University’s Barus & Holley building on Hope Street, where engineering and physics classes are held. The violence broke out during a final exam review session, as students were preparing for exams or planning to leave campus for winter break.
Two students were killed, and nine others were injured and transported to area hospitals. As of press time, most of the wounded victims were listed in stable condition.
In the aftermath, Brown announced the cancellation of its remaining fall semester classes. A shelter-in-place order issued for parts of the College Hill campus was lifted early Sunday morning, though police activity continues near active crime scenes.
As the investigation unfolds, one survivor’s story has drawn national attention. Zoe Weissman, a 20-year-old Brown student injured in the shooting, revealed that she also survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
“I’m really angry… this feels exactly how I felt in 2018,” Weissman said, describing the emotional toll of living through two mass shootings.
Authorities continue to review tips, surveillance footage, and physical evidence as the manhunt for the shooter at Brown University remains active.