Federal investigators have announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a gunman who killed two students and wounded nine others in a mass shooting at Brown University, as a tense manhunt enters its fourth day with the suspect still at large.
Faltering Investigation Sparks Community Anger
The reward, offered by the FBI, is hoped to provide a breakthrough in a case that has seen mounting frustration in Providence, Rhode Island, over the pace of the investigation. The bureau is searching for an "unknown suspect with a stocky build" who is considered armed and dangerous.
This move follows a misstep on Sunday when a 24-year-old man was detained as a "person of interest" only to be released without charge, prompting criticism after FBI director Kash Patel prematurely suggested the case was solved. Providence police spokesperson Kristy dosReis defended the handling, stating, "The investigation continued as the scenes were still active. Nothing was cleared."
Authorities are now appealing to Brown students who were near the scene of the Saturday attack to come forward for interviews, a request made via the university's social media on Monday night. This late appeal has drawn concern, as many students have already left Providence to return home for the Christmas holidays.
Questions Over Security and Surveillance
The shooter entered Brown’s seven-storey Barus & Holley engineering building at approximately 4pm on Saturday 15 December 2025, opening fire with a 9mm handgun. The FBI has released video clips of a male individual in dark clothes, about 5ft 8in tall, but investigators do not have a clear image of the suspect's face.
This lack of clarity has fuelled further criticism on social media, with commentators questioning the surveillance systems at one of the nation's wealthiest Ivy League institutions, which boasts a $7.2bn endowment. The Associated Press reported that while Brown University has numerous cameras, there are "few" inside the Barus & Holley building where the attack occurred.
"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 nearby Rhode Island School of Design and a member of Brown's dance team.
A Campus in Mourning and Under Vigilance
The atmosphere on campus and in Providence remains one of fear and intense vigilance as the new week begins without a breakthrough. The two students killed in the attack have been named as Ella Cook, 19, a second-year student from Alabama and vice-president of Brown’s chapter of College Republicans of America, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, a freshman from Virginia who immigrated from Uzbekistan with his family in 2011.
Cook was described by her pastor as "an incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light", while Umurzokov's sister Samira said he "always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew." He had aspired to be a neurosurgeon.
Of the nine wounded, one student has been released from hospital. Seven others were in a critical but stable condition, and one was in critical condition, according to the most recent authorities' update on Sunday.
At a press conference on Monday night, the Democratic Rhode Island governor, Daniel McKee, insisted everything possible was being done. "We want to see the individual that pulled the trigger on these young kids identified, apprehended and brought to justice," he stated.
Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston field office, described the investigation as "painstaking", involving documenting the trajectory of more than 40 bullets fired. "We are asking the public to be patient as we continue to run down every lead," Docks said.
Meanwhile, students are taking action, with hundreds signing a petition calling for improved security on campus. As the FBI's reward poster circulates and local businesses are canvassed for video footage, a community waits anxiously for answers.
