What we know as police launch huge manhunt

Police have detained a person of interest in connection with the US shooting at Brown University that left two people dead and nine injured.

A previous order for people on and around Brown's campus to shelter in place was also lifted.

The campus attack brings the number of mass shootings in the U.S. this year to 389, according to an independent analysis site. Gun Violence Archive.

It defines mass shootings as the killing or injury of four or more victims, not including the attacker.

Here's what we know:

A gunman opened fire in a classroom around 4:00 pm local time (21:00 GMT) Saturday in the Holly Engineering Building on the east side of Brown's campus, officials said.

According to the school, final exams were taking place in the building at the time of the shooting.

The Barus and Holly Engineering Building is a seven-story block that includes 117 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and three lecture halls.

The economics professor told local public service Ocean State Radio that the shooting happened during a review session for her course, which was taught by her teaching assistant.

“He said the shooter came through the door, yelled something – he couldn't remember what he yelled – and started shooting,” Rachel Friedberg said.

“Students started trying to get away from the shooter, trying to get lower into the stadium stands, and people were shot,” she added.

Investigators said Saturday they were not immediately clear how the shooter got into the first-floor classroom.

The building's exterior doors were unlocked, but a pass was required to enter the rooms used for final exams, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

Two students who were studying in nearby Rockefeller Library when the attack alert went out told the BBC they “stayed away from the windows” while awaiting a police escort.

The couple said officers searched the floor and forced them to drop their bags and raise their hands before they were escorted out of the library.

Brown University, one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States, is part of the Ivy League, a group of elite universities in the northeast of the country.

The university, with more than 11,000 students, is located in Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, about 50 miles (80 km) from Boston and 180 miles (290 km) from New York City.

As a result of the incident, two students were killed and nine more were injured.

Smiley told reporters Sunday that one person was in critical condition and seven others were in stable condition in the hospital. He added that one person with less serious injuries has been released.

The identities of those killed and wounded have not yet been released, but Brown University President Christina Paxson told reporters at a briefing that all of the victims, including those killed and wounded, were students.

“This is a day we hoped would never come in our community. It is deeply destructive to all of us,” she said in a statement.

The university said in a statement on Sunday that it was providing support to the families of the two slain students.

“There are not enough words of comfort for families who have lost a child, but we will do everything we can,” Ms Paxson said.

The ninth victim did not suffer a gunshot wound, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries from shrapnel from the shooting that “occurred near them,” police said.

On Sunday, officials said a person of interest had been taken into custody in connection with the shooting.

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said limited details would be released about the arrested suspect, but noted that he is in his 30s.

The suspect was arrested overnight at a hotel and is not currently enrolled at Brown University, a law enforcement source told BBC US partner CBS News.

On Saturday, police released CCTV footage of the male suspect walking away from the shooting scene wearing black clothing.

There is no weapon visible in the video and his face is obscured. Officials also say no firearms were found during a search of the building Saturday.

Some witnesses reportedly told officers he may have been wearing a gray camouflage mask.

One person was arrested before police determined he was not involved in the shooting and released him.

In a statement released by the university on Sunday, Ms. Paxson said some areas of campus remain closed as police continue to investigate.

She said around 2,000 students were moved to safety overnight, adding that she was “deeply touched” by the students and local residents who opened their homes.

Brown University said all remaining exams, papers and projects will not take place as scheduled.

US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters after returning to the White House after attending the annual Army-Navy football game, called the shooting a “terrible event.”

“All we can do now is pray for the victims and for those seriously affected,” he said.

Additional reporting by Pratiksha Ghildial