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During a search of the hotel room, police recovered two firearms. One of those weapons reportedly matched the description of the gun used during the Brown University shooting. Despite this discovery, officials later determined there was insufficient evidence to hold the individual.
At Sunday night’s press conference, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed the suspect’s release, stating plainly: “The person of interest detained in connection with the fatal mass shooting at Brown University is being released without charges.”
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha addressed the reversal, acknowledging that investigators had shifted focus after reviewing new information. “There had been evidence pointing to this individual, but that evidence now points in a different direction,” Neronha said.
He added that sudden changes in major investigations are not uncommon, explaining, “I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another and that’s exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so.”
Earlier in the day, Mayor Smiley had announced that a shelter-in-place order was lifted following the arrest. However, by nightfall, officials were forced to admit that the case remains unsolved. As of this report, no arrests have been made, and the manhunt continues.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are now working jointly to track down the suspect, including the FBI, the Providence Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Police. Authorities emphasized that the investigation remains active and aggressive.
Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez, Jr. attempted to reassure residents, stating, “The status of safety in our community remains unchanged, and we believe that you remain safe in our community.”
Despite that reassurance, Neronha made clear that the danger has not passed. “We are working with what we have, and, obviously, we have somebody at the police station, that person of interest. And we’re going to continue to build that case in order to be able to charge that person,” he said before adding bluntly, “We have a murderer out there.”
According to investigators, the gunman is described as a male dressed entirely in black and possibly armed with a rifle. After opening fire, the suspect fled the scene on foot. Surveillance footage shows an individual wearing dark clothing and a hood walking north along Hope Street and Waterman Street, with one hand concealed inside a jacket pocket.
The manhunt has now entered its second full day and includes more than 400 law enforcement personnel. Officers continue canvassing neighborhoods, reviewing surveillance footage, and following up on tips from the public.
Authorities have identified the two victims killed in the attack. One was Ella Cook, a 19-year-old Brown University student and parishioner at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Cook was also the vice president of the university’s College Republican Club, a detail that has drawn national attention amid unanswered questions about motive.
The second victim was Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a native of Uzbekistan described as an aspiring neurosurgeon with a promising future. In addition to the two fatalities, nine others were injured in the shooting, including one person who remains in critical condition.
As of now, investigators have not released any information regarding a motive for the attack. Officials have also declined to say whether the victims were targeted for ideological, political, or religious reasons.
With a suspect still on the loose and limited answers from authorities, fear and frustration continue to grow. The community is left waiting—and watching—as law enforcement races against time to bring the killer to justice.
