The person of interest detained by police in Rhode Island is reportedly a 24-year-old Army veteran from Wisconsin.
Two are dead, including Brown University sophomore Ella Cook, and nine others were wounded.
The 24-year-old, identified by law enforcement sources to The Washington Post and other outlets but unable to be confirmed independently by Newsmax, was detained at a hotel about 15 miles from the Brown campus.
An online professional profile reviewed by investigators indicated he had planned to transfer to Brown University for the fall 2025 semester, though authorities said he was not enrolled as a student at the time of the shooting.
Public records and interviews indicate the person of interest as having graduated from Cedarburg High School in Wisconsin in 2020, where he wrestled for three years and qualified for the state championships as a senior.
His senior yearbook photo was accompanied by the quotation, "He has the most who is most content with the least," a line commonly attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes. He also previously participated in junior varsity football and cross-country.
Antifa investigative reporter Andy Ngo posted on X on the person of interest's potential "anarchist" ideology: "current social media shows he is interested in gender equity and support for refugees and migrants. He wrote about transferring to Brown University for the Fall 2025 semester.
"An old X/Twitter profile that belongs to him suggests an interest in anarchist politics."
Officials emphasized that the man has not been charged and has not been named as a suspect. Investigators said the term "person of interest" indicates they believe he might have relevant information about the attack.
According to two people briefed on the investigation, the man was found in possession of two firearms, including one equipped with a laser-sight attachment. Authorities said he might have recently lived in Washington, D.C.
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon inside Brown's Barus and Holley Engineering and Physics Building. Witnesses reported hearing screams and multiple gunshots before a man dressed in black fled the scene. A massive overnight manhunt followed after the shooter was seen leaving the east side of the building and heading toward downtown Providence.
Brown University President Christina Paxson said all of the victims were students. One student has been discharged from the hospital, another remains in critical but stable condition, and seven others are listed as stable, according to Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. Officials have not released the victims' identities, citing the need to notify families.
Federal and local authorities continue to investigate, with the FBI assisting in cellphone location analysis and reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses and residents.
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