2 dead, 8 injured in Brown University mass shooting

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A suspect is at large after killing two and wounding eight others during a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday.

The university is in lockdown and the shooter was identified as a male dressed in all black clothing, according to the Providence Journal.

The shooting took place at 4 p.m. EST while students were taking exams in the Barus and Holley Engineering Building, and local police spent two hours clearing the building, CNN reported.

An individual was detained, but law enforcement determined that person was not the shooting suspect and released him.

University officials initially said the suspect was in custody but later retracted that statement and told the local community the suspect is still at large and to shelter in place.

"We continue to be in lockdown, and it is imperative that all members of our community remain sheltered in place," Brown University President Christina Paxson said, as reported by CNN.

"This means keeping all doors locked and ensuring no movement across campus," Paxson said.

Brown University's Department of Public Safety issued a campus-wide alert of an "active shooter: at 4:22 p.m. and told students and staff to run, hide or fight if necessary.

The shooter somehow entered the Barus and Holley Engineering Building located at 184 Hope St. and exited it on the building's Hope Street side.

The building's exterior doors were unlocked, and "anybody could have accessed the building at that time," Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told media.

The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting the Providence Police Department in investigating the shooting.

U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran also ordered agents in Providence to assist.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting.

Brown is a private Ivy League university and one of the nation's oldest schools.

This story is breaking news and will be updated.