Washington: Authorities on December 14 named Benjamin Erickson, a Wisconsin native, as the suspect in the mass shooting at Brown University. The US Army confirmed Erickson’s service record, with Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro stating that Benjamin W. Erickson served as an infantryman (11B) in the Regular Army from May 2021 until November 2024. He had no overseas deployments and was discharged at the rank of specialist.
According to public records, Erickson is currently residing in Washington, D.C., where he registered to vote in 2023 with a “statehood” party affiliation. Earlier records show he was registered in Wisconsin in 2020, listing his occupation at the time as “military.”
Law enforcement sources said that investigators are reviewing what they described as a potentially extensive mental health history. Authorities are also examining whether Erickson had any ties to Brown University.
A revolver and a small Glock handgun equipped with a laser sight were recovered from a hotel room where the suspect was detained in connection with the shooting that left two people dead and nine others injured.
Multiple federal law enforcement sources said the weapons were found during the detention of a male suspect at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, roughly 16 to 17 miles southwest of Brown University’s Providence campus.
According to the sources, investigators located the person of interest at the hotel after receiving a tip. Officers knocked on the hotel room door and ordered the occupant to open it. Once inside, they questioned him about his whereabouts earlier that day and in the evening. The man told officers he had remained at the hotel throughout that time.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau used “geolocation capabilities” to help locate and detain a person of interest following the attack at the Ivy League university. In a post on X, Patel said the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team played a key role in supporting the FBI Boston Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Coventry Police Department in detaining the man at a hotel early Sunday. He added that the detention came after a tip received by Providence police, though he did not provide further details.
The shooting occurred inside a ground-floor classroom in Brown University’s Barus & Holley engineering building, a seven-storey structure that houses much of the university’s engineering and physics teaching and research. University Provost Frank Doyle said final examinations were taking place in the building when the gunman opened fire.
A police official told the Associated Press that more than 40 rounds of 9mm ammunition were discharged during the attack. While officers have not recovered the firearm used, they did seize two loaded 30-round magazines. Video released by authorities shows a suspect leaving the campus and turning a corner, wearing dark, loose-fitting clothing. Among the injured, eight people are reported to be in stable condition, while one remains critically ill. Another victim has since been released from the hospital.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter-in-place order affecting nearby neighbourhoods had been lifted, though several streets remained closed as investigators continued processing the scene. “The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning,” Smiley said.
Parts of the campus remained restricted on December 14, with police maintaining a security perimeter around Minden Hall and nearby apartment buildings.
Brown University’s campus spans hundreds of buildings, including lecture halls, laboratories, and student housing. The private Ivy League institution enrolls about 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students.
