Tension, grief, and a palpable sense of fear gripped the Ivy League campus of Brown University and its surrounding Providence neighbourhood on Monday, as a major manhunt continued for the suspect in a weekend shooting that left two students dead and nine others injured.
A Community on High Alert
The sound of helicopters and sirens provided a constant, unsettling backdrop to the day in Providence's East Side, an area normally known for its close-knit, small-town feel within America's smallest state. Federal and local law enforcement officers were seen canvassing local businesses for security camera footage and sweeping properties with police dogs.
The anxiety was compounded when authorities released a man they had detained on Sunday, confirming the perpetrator remained at large. "Everybody's aware that a horrible thing happened, and the person's still not caught," said Jennifer Kandarian, manager of the nearby Books on the Square. "You can't even fathom the tragedy."
Rumours of a second shooting at a nearby apartment complex prompted a store lockdown and a significant police response, which was later confirmed to be a false alarm caused by a boiler backfiring. The incident, however, left residents even more shaken.
Heightened Security and a City in Mourning
In response to the ongoing threat, several private schools in the area closed as a precaution, while public schools remained open with increased security before cancelling all after-school activities. Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged the profound impact on the city's sense of security.
"This has shaken us," Smiley stated at an evening news conference. "It is going to be hard for my city to feel safe going forward." He promised a visible police presence to reassure the public as the investigation pressed on.
The commercial strip alongside the university was notably quiet, with fewer people out and some stores closed. Jamiere Barr, an employee at Sneaker Junkies, voiced a common fear: "It could be anyone. He could still be out here. He could be on the street right now. You never know."
Grief and Resilience in the Ivy Tower
A short distance away, a makeshift memorial grew outside the building where the shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon. Mourners left flowers, shared hugs, and comforted one another. One note read: "BROWN Community. Your Providence neighbors love you."
Carlos Ponce De Leon, a Brown graduate from last year, was on the second floor of the building during the attack, one floor above where it happened. "I'm so incredibly lucky to be here," he said. To cope, he went to his job as a researcher at Rhode Island Hospital—the same facility treating the injured students—finding solace in contributing to the community.
The tragedy resonated deeply with those who have experienced similar violence. Patricia Rodarte, a surgery resident and Brown alumna, visited the memorial and reflected on it being the second time she had mourned at a mass shooting site, the first being the 2019 El Paso Walmart attack.
"This was a safe place, in this ivory tower," Rodarte said. "But no place really is safe in the current landscape that we're in." As the search continues, the community is left to grapple with that unsettling reality while seeking solace and strength in one another.
