Hands up: Video captures students huddling in fear as cops sweep US university

A dramatic video filmed inside a Brown University building has captured the tense moments when police located a group of students sheltering in a library following a fatal shooting on campus that left two students dead and nine others injured.

The video, recorded during a shelter-in-place order, shows students huddled together inside a campus library as armed officers enter the room. Police are heard identifying themselves, instructing everyone to raise their hands and asking whether anyone inside was injured before escorting the group to safety.

The shooting took place at around 4.05 pm local time in a classroom inside the university’s Barus & Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and the Physics Department. Authorities said the attacker fled the scene on foot, and a manhunt remains under way.

Police are searching for a male suspect who was dressed entirely in black and was last seen exiting the engineering building. One individual was briefly detained during the response but was later released after investigators determined they had no connection to the attack.

As the situation unfolded, the university issued a shelter-in-place alert, warning students and nearby residents to remain indoors. That order remained in effect late on Saturday, with police urging people in the surrounding area not to return home until authorities declare it safe.

Graduate students Marcos and Daniel described the terrifying moments they spent hiding inside the Rockefeller Library on campus. Speaking to the BBC, they said they were studying nearby when they received an alert warning of an active gunman.

“We stayed away from the windows and when the police came we were told to drop our bags, raise our hands, and then a search was carried out on the floor before we were led out of the library,” they said. Like many other graduate students, they plan to remain at home for several days until the suspect is caught and the situation stabilises.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that two students had been killed and nine others injured in the shooting, adding that some of the injured were in critical condition and warning that the number of casualties could rise.

Police later released CCTV footage showing the suspect walking out of the Barus & Holley building shortly after the attack. The footage does not clearly show the man’s face or a weapon, but investigators say it provides valuable clues.

Todd McGhee, a counter-terrorism and violent extremism expert, told BBC News that the video would help narrow down the suspect’s escape route. “It gives law enforcement a direction of travel,” he said, explaining that officers would now examine CCTV, doorbell cameras and other surveillance footage in nearby buildings.

McGhee added that agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who are assisting the investigation, would focus on identifying the firearm used and tracing its ownership. Investigators are also examining the suspect’s possible digital footprint, including social media activity and messages, and looking for any vehicle that may have been used during the escape.

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting as authorities continued the search for the suspect and urged anyone with information to come forward.

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