Brown University, a prestigious Ivy League institution, is currently under scrutiny for its security protocols following a shooting incident on campus.
The university's emergency sirens failed to sound off during the crisis, and it took almost 20 minutes for an alert to be sent to the students. This incident has raised concerns about the university's emergency response capabilities, especially in light of recent no-confidence votes against the campus police chief by the campus police force.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, Rodney Chatman, the university's director of public safety and emergency management, attributed the absence of sirens to the chaotic nature of the crisis. He stated that the police were alerted to the incident when an officer observed students fleeing the scene.
The shooting was reported to fire officials at 4:05 p.m., as per Providence fire chief Derek Silva. However, students were not alerted until 4:22 p.m., a full 17 minutes later, as reported by the Rhode Island Current. The students were then advised to lock their doors, run, hide, and only "FIGHT as a last resort."
The university's response to the crisis was marked by a series of issued and retracted alerts. At 4:51 p.m., an alert was sent out stating that a suspect was in custody, only to be retracted 20 minutes later. A subsequent alert at 5:27 p.m. warned of another shooting, but this was later dismissed as "unfounded" in a 6:10 p.m. message.
The assailant, who remains at large, opened fire in a lecture hall filled with approximately 60 students during a final exam review session for an economics course. The incident resulted in the tragic loss of two lives and left nine others injured. The course was taught by Professor Rachel Friedberg, a trustee at the Jewish Day School of Rhode Island and a former lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was not present during the incident.
In the aftermath of the shooting, police arrested Benjamin Erickson early Sunday morning in a hotel approximately 17 miles from Brown and recovered a revolver and a small Glock handgun with a laser sight attached. However, Erickson was released later that night as evidence "now points in a different direction," according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha. He declined to provide further details about the ongoing investigation, stating, "we have a murderer out there, frankly, and so we're not going to give away the game plan." Providence Mayor Brett Smiley reassured the community, stating, "we believe that you remain safe in our community," despite the assailant still being at large.
One of the victims of the shooting was Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama, who served as vice president of Brown Republicans.
Chatman, who assumed his role at Brown in 2021 following the resignation of his predecessor amidst calls from student activists to abolish the police, has faced numerous complaints in recent months. According to the Brown Daily Herald, officers have expressed concerns about the department's lack of transparency regarding bomb and shooting threats across campus, feeling that their concerns were dismissed by the leadership.
In October, the Security Patrolperson's Association, the second union in as many months, issued a vote of no confidence in Chatman and deputy chief John Vinson. The association criticized the Department of Public Safety's decision to reduce the number of field officers to accommodate more administrative positions, stating that this decision "directly contributed to an all-time low in morale and has strained the department's ability to effectively serve the Brown University community."
The association also highlighted a "climate of fear and possibility of retaliation" within the department and noted that officers have faced technology failures in the field, leading to high turnover and burnout among officers.
Details surrounding the suspect of Saturday's shooting remain scarce. Providence police chief Oscar L. Perez declined to provide any information about the suspect, including his name, whether he was local, or if a weapon was found. He also refused to comment on allegations that the assailant shouted something during the shooting and did not address questions about the lack of camera footage, despite the university's extensive surveillance network.
In the wake of the shooting at Brown, Columbia University has increased its security measures, restricting campus access to students, faculty, staff, and registered guests, and has committed to more frequent monitoring of its buildings.
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