Brown Uni shooting: Person of interest released – Turns out, wrong guy was arrested, AGAIN

The person of interest detained in connection with the deadly shooting at Brown University has been released, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said on Sunday (Dec 14). Earlier, the US law enforcement detained a Wisconsin man as a person of interest in the incident. This comes after a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session on Saturday (Dec 13). Two students were killed, while nine other people were injured. Meanwhile, the gunman remains at large.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said that the police were releasing the man who was detained earlier on Sunday because the evidence “now points in a different direction.”

This is not the first time that the wrong person has been arrested by US law enforcement. Following the assassination of US President Donald Trump’s ally, the FBI detained the wrong man in connection with the shooting, following which the agency and its chief, Kash Patel, faced scrutiny over the handling of the case.

Police Chief Oscar L. Perez, Jr. said that the officials had evidence, but not enough to prosecute anybody. He added that following a tip, the FBI “followed through with it, and they ended up coming and locating this individual of interest.”

After the evidence was examined, the person was released as the investigators found that there was no basis to consider him a person of interest.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another and that’s exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so,” Neronha said. “It’s fair to say that there is no basis to consider him a person of interest,” said Neronha of the man who was detained. “So that’s why he’s being released.”

Earlier, 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson was detained by law enforcement in connection with the shooting at the prestigious school. CNN reported that two firearms, a revolver and a small Glock handgun with a laser sight attached, were found in the hotel room he was staying in Coventry.

Even after a day since the shooting happened, the police have only released one CCTV footage of the suspect despite the university having more than 800 surveillance cameras on campus.

The incident took place in the afternoon at Brown University’s Barus and Holley building, which is home to the engineering and physics departments. The university said that multiple exams were scheduled in the building at the time of the shooting.