Manhunt continues after two killed and nine injured

A manhunt is underway after two students were killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

On Saturday at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT), a gunman opened fire in a classroom in the building where exams were being held.

The university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the United States, was placed on lockdown as police searched for the gunman, who remains at large.

Students in some parts of campus are still being told to remain in place until police clear them from the area.

Rhode Island Hospital officials said most of the injured were in “critical but stable” condition.

Officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the dead and wounded.

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

Police have released limited information about the male suspect, including his identity and motive. It is unknown whether he has ties to the university.

Surveillance footage shows the suspect leaving the building after the attack, but his face is not visible.

Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O'Hara said the suspect was dressed all in black and may have been wearing a mask. It is unknown what type of firearm he used and none has been found.

“We are using every resource possible to find this suspect,” he added, bringing in additional armed police forces to search the area.

The shooting took place at the Barus and Holley building, which is part of Brown University's school of engineering. The attack took place in a large classroom on the first floor.

An economics professor told local media Ocean State Radio that the shooting occurred 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.

Officials cleared the building Saturday afternoon but did not find a suspect or a weapon.

Residents of the Greater Brown University area were ordered to stay inside or stay away until the stay-at-home order is lifted.

The university said in a statement that police will enter non-residential buildings to escort people to safety.

Steph Machado, a reporter for the Boston Globe, told BBC News that restaurants around campus have locked their doors while staff and customers wait inside until the emergency order is lifted.

“There are flashing lights everywhere,” she said.

Immediately after the shooting, it was reported that a suspect had been taken into custody, but it was quickly confirmed that the man in custody was not involved in the attack.

Marie Camara, 20, a Brown University student from New York, told The Associated Press she was leaving the library and rushed into the restaurant to find cover as the shooting occurred. She spent the next three hours hiding there.

“Everyone is just like me, shocked and scared that something like this happened,” Camara said.

University exams scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled, school chancellor Frank Doyle said.

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.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement: “Our capital suffered an unthinkable tragedy today. Our hearts go out to the people of Providence and everyone affected.”

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, approximately 50 miles (80 km) from Boston and 180 miles (290 km) from New York City.

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

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