Six days after an investigation into last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University, authorities are looking into a possible link to a second attack near Boston two days later that killed a professor at another Ivy League school, an AP report said Thursday.
Investigators are looking into whether the two shootings are related, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Two of the people said authorities have identified a person of interest in the cases and are actively searching for that person.
The two attacks are days apart
The first shooting occurred Saturday in a classroom at Brown University’s engineering building, killing two students and injuring nine others. The attacker fled the scene and remains at large.
Two days later, about 50 miles north, MIT professor Nuno FG Loureiro was shot Monday night at his home near Boston and died in hospital the next day.
The FBI previously said it was not aware of any connection between the cases.
No arrests yet as frustration grows
Nearly a week after the Brown shooting, frustration is mounting in Providence as authorities continue to search without a suspect in custody and without a clear image of the gunman’s face.
“There is no deterrence among people who understand that not every case can be solved quickly,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said at a news conference Wednesday.
Investigators scoured the area for evidence and urged the public to review phone and security records from the week leading up to the attack, believing the gunman may have surrounded the scene beforehand. Officials did not say they were close to making any arrests.
Gaps in surveillance complicate investigations
Police have released several videos from before and after the shooting that show a person matching the description given by witnesses. In the footage, the individual is seen standing, walking and running on the streets near the campus, but their face is covered by a mask or turned away from the cameras.
Brown officials say the university has about 1,200 cameras, but the shooting happened in an older part of the engineering building with few, if any, cameras. Investigators believe the shooter entered and exited through a door facing a residential street, possibly avoiding campus surveillance.
City leaders admit fear
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said Wednesday the city is doing “everything possible” to keep residents safe, while acknowledging the growing anxiety.
“It’s a scary time in town,” Smiley said, noting that families are likely having difficult conversations about whether to stay in town for the holidays.
“We’re doing everything we can to reassure people, to make them comfortable, and that’s the best answer I can give to this difficult question,” he said when asked if the city was safe.
Motive unclear, suspect still at large
Investigators described the suspect as about 5 feet 8 inches (173 centimeters) tall with a stocky build. Authorities say the motive remains unknown and there is no evidence to suggest a specific individual was targeted.
