Brown University Case Takes New Turn as Suspect Is Released

Officials from Rhode Island have announced that the investigators looking into the fatal shooting at Brown University have set free the person of interest who was previously held, as new evidence has directed the case towards a different direction.

Peter Neronha, the Attorney General of Rhode Island, said that although there was at first "some degree of evidence" which connected the Wisconsin man, aged 24, to the crime, the inquiry eventually pointed at the need for more verification of the information. The new evidence was reported by the officials and the coroners had corroborated it in the last 24 hours, which led them to the conclusion that they had the wrong person.

"We did an extensive investigation, obtained search warrants, and scrutinized the evidence closely," said Oscar Perez, Chief of Police of Providence, as noted by The Washington Post. "But on the basis of the review, there was not enough material to charge any person, and the individual was set free."

Who Was the Person Taken into Custody?

The person who was mentioned as a suspect in the first place was Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin, who had been an infantryman in the US Army. After a long hunt, Erickson was captured on Sunday morning while he was at a hotel near the Brown University campus.

The US Army verified that Erickson had been in their service, mentioning that he was an infantryman from May 2021 to November 2024, and he was a specialist with no deployment overseas.

Law enforcement personnel took a revolver and a Glock handgun, which had a laser sight attached, from the hotel room in Coventry, Rhode Island during the time Erickson was in custody—Coventry is located roughly 16-17 miles southwest of the Brown University campus. Police also indicated the confiscation of ammunition magazines, but they also mentioned that the evidence taken in was ultimately inadequate to justify charges.

What Occurred at Brown University?

The incident took place in a classroom on the ground floor of Barus & Holley, a seven-story engineering building that is primarily used for the university's engineering and physics departments. According to Frank Doyle, the university provost, examinations were in progress at the exact time when the shots were fired.

Police authorities told the Associated Press that the assailant shot more than 40 rounds of 9mm ammunition. It was possible for the officers to get hold of two 30-round magazines that were already loaded, however, the weapon that is directly connected to the shooting has not been traced yet.

The clip that was released by the authorities shows the offender escaping from the campus while dressed in black, baggy clothing and turning away from the crime scene.

Death Tolls and University Reactions

That day two people lost their lives and a total of nine received injuries from the attack. According to the reports coming from the hospitals, eight injured people are in stable condition, one is in critical condition, and another has been discharged.

The order of sheltering in place for the areas around the university, that had been imposed, was lifted by Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. However, the investigation is still going on, so there are still some streets around the campus that are closed.

“The citizens of Providence can now live their daily lives more or less peacefully,” Smiley said.

The police have set up a security barrier around Minden Hall and the nearby residential areas and restrict the public’s access to certain parts of the Brown University campus. This small private Ivy League university enrols about 7,300 undergraduates and over 3,000 post-graduates.

Officials have said the investigation is ongoing as they still have to see who the perpetrator is, and what the reason for the attack was.