(MENAFN- Live Mint) Authorities in Rhode Island were actively looking for a suspect following a shooting at Brown University in Providence that left two people dead and eight others critically injured, Reuters reported.Several streets surrounding the campus remained closed for hours after the incident, and law enforcement increased security across the city while continuing the search for the suspect.
Also Read | Brown University shooting LIVE: Two dead, Mamdani slams 'senseless violence' Compared with many other countries, the United States experiences a higher frequency of mass shootings in schools, workplaces, and religious institutions, a trend that coincides with some of the least restrictive gun laws among developed nations.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he had been briefed on the situation, which he called "terrible."
"All we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt."
What is a mass shooting?The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, and it has recorded 389 such events in the U.S. so far this year, including at least six that occurred at schools.
In the previous year, the archive reported that the U.S. saw more than 500 mass shootings nationwide.
Brown is on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island's state capital. The university has hundreds of buildings, including lecture halls, laboratories and dormitories.
Also Read | Where is Brown University-mass shooting kills 2 on Rhode Island campus Brown University student Chiang-Heng Chien told local TV station WJAR he was working in a lab with three other students when he saw the text about the active shooter situation a block away. They waited under desks for about two hours, he said.
The search for the suspect was hampered in part because downtown Providence was crowded with holiday shoppers and thousands of people attending concerts, local media said. Federal law enforcement and police from surrounding cities and towns were assisting in the search, officials said, as reported by Reuters.
According to local news reports, venues across the city were bringing in extra security.
Here is a look at other deadly shootings on U.S. college campuses in recent decades:Kentucky State University: December 2025, 1 deadA shooting at a residence hall at the public historically Black university left one student dead and another critically injured. The suspect, who is a parent of a student, faces murder and assault charges, AP reported.
Utah Valley University: September 2025, 1 deadConservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking on campus during one of his political events, sending hundreds of people running. A 22-year-old suspect faces aggravated murder in connection with Kirk's death. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.
Florida State University: April 2025, 2 deadTwo died and six were wounded in a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee. A 21-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas: December 2023, 3 deadA 67-year-old former business professor, whose applications to teach at UNLV had been rejected, opened fire in the building housing the university's business school, killing three professors and badly wounding a fourth. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police outside the building, AP reported.
Michigan State University: February 2023, 3 deadA 43-year-old gunman fired inside an academic building and the student union, killing three students and injuring five others. He later killed himself miles away from the campus in East Lansing while being confronted by police.
University of Virginia: November 2022, 3 deadA student and former football player opened fire on a charter bus carrying teammates returning from a field trip, killing three current players. The attack sparked widespread panic and led to a 12-hour campus lockdown before the suspect was apprehended. Two additional students were injured elsewhere on campus. The shooter has since pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Northern Arizona University: October 2015, 1 deadJust weeks into his freshman year, a student walked onto the campus in Flagstaff and opened fire. One student was killed and three others were wounded in the first deadly shooting since the university was founded in 1899. The shooter later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Umpqua Community College: October 2015, 9 deadA 26-year-old man opened fire on his writing class, killing his instructor and eight other people at the school in rural Roseburg, Oregon. Nine more people were also wounded. The shooter then killed himself.
School shootings in USMeanwhile, according to a report by CNN, as of December 13, there have been at least 75 school shootings in the United States this year. Of these incidents, 43 occurred on college or university campuses, while 32 took place at K–12 schools.
Also Read | Erika Kirk tells alleged killer of Charlie Kirk: 'I have nothing to say to you' According to CNN's review of data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week, and Everytown for Gun Safety, these shootings resulted in at least 31 deaths and injured more than 100 additional people.
Which states experienced the highest school shootings?According to CNN's analysis, several Southern states have experienced the highest per-capita rates of school shootings since 2008. Washington, DC recorded the highest rate, with six shootings-nearly one for every 100,000 residents-while Texas reported the largest total number, with 65 incidents overall.
In contrast, only four states-Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Vermont-reported no school shootings during that time period.
Comparing school shooting totals so far this year to past years:
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