Authorities in Rhode Island were actively searching for a suspect after a shooting at Brown University in Providence that left two dead and eight others seriously injured, Reuters reported.
Several streets around the campus remained closed for several hours after the incident, and law enforcement increased security throughout the city while continuing to search for the suspect.
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Compared to many other countries, the United States experiences a higher frequency of mass shootings at schools, workplaces, and religious institutions, a trend that coincides with some of the least restrictive gun laws among developed nations.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he had been briefed on the situation, which he described as “terrible”.
“All we can do now is pray for the victims and those who were very badly injured.”
What is a mass shooting?
The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, and has recorded 389 such incidents in the U.S. so far this year, including at least six that happened in schools.
The previous year, the archive said, the US had seen more than 500 mass shootings across the country.
Brown is on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island’s state capital. The university has hundreds of buildings, including lecture halls, laboratories and dormitories.
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Brown University student Chiang-Heng Chien told local television station WJAR that he was working in a lab with three other students when he saw a text about an active shooter situation a block away. They waited under tables for about two hours, he said.
The search for the suspect was hampered in part because downtown Providence was packed with holiday shoppers and thousands of concertgoers, local media reported. Federal law enforcement agencies and police from nearby towns were assisting in the search, officials said, as reported by Reuters.
According to local news reports, locations across the city were bringing increased security.
Here’s a look at other deadly shootings at US universities in recent decades:
Kentucky State University: December 2025, 1 dead
A dormitory shooting at a public historically black university has left one student dead and another seriously injured. The suspect, who is the student’s parent, faces charges of murder and assault, the AP reported.
Utah Valley University: September 2025, 1 dead
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking on campus during one of his political events, leaving hundreds fleeing. The 22-year-old suspect faces first-degree murder in connection with Kirk’s death. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.
Florida State University: April 2025, 2 dead
Two dead and six injured in shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee. A 21-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas: December 2023, 3 dead
A 67-year-old former business professor whose applications to teach at UNLV had been rejected opened fire in the building that houses the university’s business school, killing three professors and critically wounding a fourth. The shooter was killed in a shootout with police outside the building, AP reported.
Michigan State University: February 2023, 3 dead
A 43-year-old gunman opened fire inside an academic building and student union, killing three students and injuring five others. He later killed himself miles from the East Lansing campus when confronted by police.
University of Virginia: November 2022, 3 dead
A student and former football player opened fire on a charter bus carrying teammates returning from a field trip, killing three current players. The attack sparked widespread panic and led to a 12-hour campus lockdown before the suspect was apprehended. Two other students were injured elsewhere on campus. The shooter has since pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Northern Arizona University: October 2015, 1 dead
Just weeks into his freshman year, a student walked onto the Flagstaff campus and opened fire. One student was killed and three others were wounded in the first fatal shooting since the university was founded in 1899. The gunman later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Umpqua Community College: October 2015, 9 dead
A 26-year-old man opened fire on his writing class, killing his instructor and eight other people at the school in rural Roseburg, Oregon. Nine other people were also injured. The shooter then killed himself.
School shootings in the US
Meanwhile, as of December 13, there have been at least 75 school shootings in the United States this year, according to a CNN report. Of those incidents, 43 occurred on college or university campuses, while 32 occurred in K–12 schools.
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According to a CNN review of data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week and Everytown for Gun Safety, those shootings have resulted in at least 31 deaths and injuries to more than 100 others.
Which states have experienced the highest number of school shootings?
According to a CNN analysis, several Southern states saw their highest number of shootings per capita since 2008. Washington, D.C., had the highest number of shootings per capita, with six shootings — nearly one for every 100,000 residents — while Texas reported the highest total, with a total of 65 incidents.
In contrast, only four states—Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Vermont—reported no school shootings during that time period.
A comparison of the number of school shootings so far this year with previous years:
Annual School Shootings 201537201650201741201844201949202021202172202279202381202482202575
