'Person of interest' held in Brown University shooting

A person of interest was in custody yesterday after a shooting during final exams at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others.

- GRAIG GRAZIOSI

A gunman fired into a final exam review session for an economics class, according to Professor Rachel Friedberg. The classroom was located on the ground floor of an engineering building on campus, and according to officials, it appears that no other classrooms or buildings were targeted.

Police said that a “person of interest” was detained at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, early yesterday morning.

CNN journalists happened to be staying in the same hotel and witnessed at least 20 police officers, US Marshals and FBI agents entering a room there.

Hotel guests were woken around 4am local time with police banging on a door, saying, “Open up”, according to the network.

Officers could be heard in the hallway saying, “We have a warrant for your apartment,” and that the suspect was being taken “back to the cruiser”, CNN reported.

Officials have described the person detained as a male in his 20s, correcting earlier reports that a gunman was in his late 30s. The person taken into custody has not been identified and has not yet been charged with any crimes.

Officials have not said if the suspect has any direct connection to the university and have not publicly disclosed a motive.

Providence Police Department chief Col Oscar Perez stated that they were not seeking any additional suspects in the case.