PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The ongoing effort to find a man who walked onto Brown University’s campus during a busy exam season and shot nearly a dozen students in a crowded lecture hall has raised questions about the school’s security systems and the urgency of the investigation itself.
A day after Saturday’s mass shooting, officials said a person of interest taken into custody would be released without charges, leaving investigators with little actionable insight from the limited security video they had recovered and scrambling to develop new leads.
Law enforcement officials were still doing the most basic investigative work two days after the shooting that killed two students and wounded nine, canvassing local residences and businesses for security camera footage and looking for physical evidence. That has left students and some Providence residents frustrated at gaps in the university’s security and camera systems that allowed the shooter to disappear.
“The fact that we’re in such a surveillance state but that wasn’t used correctly at all is just so deeply frustrating,” said Li Ding, a student at the Rhode Island School of Design.
A Petition for Increased Security
Ding is among hundreds of students who have signed a petition urging increased security at school buildings, stating that officials must do a better job protecting the campus against active shooter threats.
“I think honestly, the students are doing a more effective job at taking care of each other than the police,” Ding asserted.
Providence Police Department's chief public information officer, Kristy dosReis, stated that at no point did the investigation stand down, even after they appeared to have a breakthrough in the case, detaining a Wisconsin man who is now believe to be uninvolved.
Police and the FBI on Monday released new video and photographs of a masked man believed to have carried out the attack.
Investigation is ‘Painstaking Work’
FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted Docks remarked that a $50,000 reward is being offered for information that would lead to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the shooter, describing the investigation, including documenting bullet trajectories, as “painstaking work.”
Docks urged the public to be patient as they continue to run down every lead to provide answers to victims, survivors, their families, and the community.
A Lack of Campus Security Footage
Despite Brown University being equipped with cameras, there were few positioned in the Barus and Holley building, home to the engineering school that was targeted. The lack of campus footage has left police scrambling to seek tips from the public.
Students noted that the university’s emergency alert system kept them informed about the active shooter’s presence. However, uncertainties about what to do during the prolonged lockdown lingered.
Chiang-Heng Chien recounted hiding in his lab and deliberating whether to open the door amid the chaos outside.
Experts Weigh in on Campus Security
Law enforcement experts highlight that colleges often face disadvantages when responding to threats like active shooters, citing training and resource constraints.
Changes in Providence’s Alert System
After transitioning from a mobile app to a web-based alert system in March, many residents were unaware of the new registration requirement, which led to confusion during the crisis. Emely Vallee expressed frustration at not receiving any notifications after the shooting, relying instead on friends for updates.
Many residents, including students and local businesses, are now questioning the efficacy of emergency protocols and calling for significant changes to enhance safety moving forward.
