Officials in Rhode Island are warning that finding the person who shot and killed multiple people on Brown University’s campus over the weekend has various complexities.
A 24-year-old Wisconsin man, who had been detained and was believed to be the suspect, was released from custody late Sunday night.
“This is what these investigations look like. Sometimes you head in one direction, and then you have to regroup and go in another,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Sunday evening, adding, “Evidence now points in a different direction.”
The manhunt for the killer is now entering its third day as authorities are grappling with limited video evidence of a shooter who fled the scene, seemingly with time on their side.
Neronha noted local police will have “resources amplified by the state police” and federal authorities, adding “this could happen very quickly, but it could take some time.”
On the original suspect being released, Providence police chief Col. Oscar Perez said, “We did our thorough investigation, examined, ended up drafting some search warrants, came up with some evidence, but that evidence was examined and we didn’t have enough, obviously, to be able to prosecute anybody and so the person was released.”
The person of interest’s release now leaves law enforcement without any known suspect. Perez noted it is a “complex” investigation and reassured the public that authorities will follow up on all tips.
“Investigations will tell us if something is valid or not, whether something needs to be ruled out,” Perez said. “It’s not a mistake; it’s just how investigations work.”
The Brown University buildings were unlocked at the time of the shooting as students were preparing for final exams, meaning anyone could have entered a university building.
Officials have released video footage of what they believe is the suspect wearing dark clothing walking near campus. The footage, however, does not provide a clear view of the suspect’s face, further complicating the investigation.
Video of person of interest in Brown shooting: pic.twitter.com/fjufQ3MTdC
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 14, 2025
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley noted that the video released to the public is the “clearest picture we have of the individual we believe to be responsible. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t other evidence.”
“There was still a lot of evidence collected at the crime scene and throughout the investigation over the last nearly two days,” the mayor said.
Investigators have said that there is little usable video footage from inside the campus building where the shooting took place.
Smiley said that the release of the person of interest has been a setback for the university and the local community, but not “necessarily in terms of the investigation. As I said, the investigation was continuing.” He noted that investigators had not stopped pursuing other leads while the person of interest was in custody.
“We did not devote all of our focus to that,” Smiley said. “We certainly wanted to explore it, because we had credible information that was worthy of full examination. But other aspects of the investigation remained at full speed while that lead was being explored.”
“I think we all got our hopes up that maybe this was the person… So there’s more of an emotional setback that has occurred as we’ve had to refocus, to realize that we still have hopefully hours, but maybe days or more, ahead,” the mayor said.
Smiley also offered reassurance to the community that there is currently no threat to them.
“We don’t believe that there is an imminent threat to public safety here in the city of Providence, and there is, in fact, an enhanced police presence throughout the city,” Smiley said Monday morning.
The shooter killed at least two people and injured nine others on Saturday. One person has been discharged, one person is in critical but stable condition, and seven remain in stable condition.
There have been at least 75 school shootings in the U.S. so far this year.
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