Police sources have told NBC News the identity of a man detained as a "person of interest" following the fatal shooting on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told NBC News that the suspect is 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson, who had served several years in the US Army.
Two people were killed and nine others, all believed to be students, were injured in the attack at around 4pm on Saturday, the Telegraph reports.
Sources told NBC that authorities are investigating what could be an extensive mental health history for Erickson. Any connection to Brown University is also being investigated.
FBI Director Kash Patel released details of an arrest at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, about 32 miles from Providence, early Sunday, "based on a lead" from Providence police.
According to a statement given to NBC News by Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ruth Castro: "Benjamin W Erickson was an infantryman (11B) in the regular Army from May 2021 to November 2024. He has no deployments and left the Army with the rank of specialist."
Public records show that he lived in Washington, D.C. in 2024 and had also been a resident of Wisconsin in 2020.
Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez told reporters Sunday that the investigation is "complex" and is progressing "extremely quickly," but declined to provide details.
The shooting occurred inside a classroom on the first floor of the Barus & Holley Engineering Building, a seven-story structure that houses the bulk of the university's engineering and physics studies and research.
Brown University President Frank Doyle confirmed that final exams were being held in the engineering building when the gunman opened fire.
A police official told the AP news agency that the gunman fired more than 40 9mm rounds. A gun was not recovered, but officers seized two magazines filled with 30 rounds.
A video released by officials shows a suspect walking down a street away from campus and turning a corner, wearing dark, loose-fitting clothing.
Of the injured, eight people are described as being in stable condition, although one remains in critical condition. Another person has been discharged from hospital. /Telegraph/
