Manhunt continues after two dead, nine injured

A manhunt is underway after a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, that left two students dead and nine others injured.

At around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday, the gunman opened fire in a classroom in a building where exams were taking place.

The university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the United States, was placed on lockdown while police searched for the still-at-large gunman.

Students in parts of campus continue to be told to shelter in place until police escort them out of the area.

Officials at Rhode Island Hospital said most of the injured were in “critical but stable condition.”

Officials have not yet released the identities of the dead and injured.

“We hope this day never comes to our community. This is a devastating blow to all of us,” Brown University President Christine Paxson said in a statement.

Police have released limited information about the male suspect, including his identity or motive. It’s unclear whether he has ties to the university.

CCTV footage shows the suspect walking out of the building after the attack, but his face cannot be seen.

Providence Police Deputy Chief Tim O’Hara said the suspect was wearing black clothing and possibly a mask. It’s unclear what type of gun he was using and it has not been found.

“We are using all possible resources to locate this suspect,” he added, adding additional armed police resources were deployed to search the area.

The shooting occurred in the Burroughs and Hawley Buildings of Brown University’s School of Engineering. The attack took place in a large classroom on the first floor.

An economics professor told local public media ocean state radio The shooting occurred during a review session for her course, conducted by her teaching assistant.

“He said the shooter walked in the door, yelled something – he didn’t remember what he yelled – and started shooting,” Rachel Friedberg said.

She added: “Students began scrambling to escape the gunman, trying to hide in the lower seats of the stadium, and one person was shot.”

Officers cleared the building Saturday afternoon but found neither a suspect nor a weapon.

Residents in the Greater Brown area are told to stay indoors or stay away from the stay-at-home order until it is lifted.

The university said in a statement that police will enter non-residential buildings and escort people to safety.

Boston Globe reporter Steph Machado told BBC News that restaurants around campus have locked their doors, with employees and customers waiting inside until emergency orders are lifted.

“There were twinkling lights everywhere,” she said.

A suspect was reportedly in custody following the shooting, but it was quickly confirmed that the man in custody was not involved in the attack.

Mari Camara, a 20-year-old Brown University student from New York City, told The Associated Press that she emerged from the library during the shooting and rushed into a restaurant to seek shelter. She spent the next three hours hiding there.

“Everyone is as shocked and horrified as I am that something like this happened,” Kamara said.

Provost Frank Doyle said university exams scheduled for Saturday had been cancelled.

President Donald Trump told reporters on his return to the White House from the annual Army and Navy football game that the shooting was “a terrible thing.”

“All we can do now is pray for the victims and those who were seriously injured,” he said.

“Our capital experienced an unimaginable tragedy today,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the people of Providence and all those affected.”

Brown University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States and is part of the Ivy League, an elite group of universities in the northeastern United States.

The university has more than 11,000 students and is located in Providence, Rhode Island, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Boston and 180 miles (290 kilometers) from New York City.

The school attacks brought the number of mass shootings in the United States this year to 389, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), an independent analysis website.

It defines a mass shooting as one where four or more victims are killed or injured, not including the attacker.