Providence officials announced late Sunday that they are releasing the person that had previously been captured and deemed a “person of interest” in the Saturday shooting at Brown University that left 2 people dead and 9 people injured.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha explained that after detailed analysis of the evidence, there was “no basis to consider him a person of interest.”
“Sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another and that’s exactly what has happened in the last 24 hours or so,” Neronha said.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said people in Providence should expect to see an increased police presence on the streets in the coming days, in part to provide residents a greater sense of comfort. But he emphasized that he does not believe people are in danger.
“Ever since the initial call a day-and-a-half ago, we have received no specific credible threats to the Providence community. The status of safety remains unchanged and we believe that you remain safe in our community.”
Smiley and Police Chief Oscar Perez said the investigation is continuing and they are asking anyone with security camera video from the area around Hope and Waterman streets to provide that video to authorities, by visiting fbi.gov/brownuniversityshooting or by calling the Providence Police non-emergency number 401-272-3121.
Hundreds of law enforcement personnel launched a manhunt Saturday afternoon after a single shooter killed 2 people and wounded 9 others inside Barus & Holley Hall and then escaped onto Hope St. Students and neighbors near the campus were told to shelter in place with the shooter at large.
At an early Sunday morning press conference, Smiley and other officials announced that a “person of interest” had been taken into custody. The shelter in place order was lifted, and the city began the process of mourning and trying to heal.
“The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning,” Smiley said.
But Sunday night he acknowledged that authorities had the wrong person in custody and “we have no way of knowing” whether the person who fired the shots is still in the Providence area.
Neronha added, “We have a murderer out there, frankly.”
But Smiley said there is no plan at this point to issue a new shelter-in-place order. “We don’t think it’s necessary.”
Ocean State Media’s Paul Singer contributed to this story.
