Brown University shooting: Person of interest served in US Army? What we know about Benjamin Erickson
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This video grab from a CCTV footage released by the Providence Police Department shows the suspect in the Brown University shooting walking along a road near the campus in Providence on December 13, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
Earlier, the Providence Police Department released CCTV footage of the suspect hours after the incident. In the video, the suspect can be seen walking away from the university campus, dressed in all black.
The person of interest detained in the deadly shooting at Brown University has been identified as a Wisconsin man, 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson. He was arrested by the law enforcement before dawn on Sunday (Dec 14) at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, Rhode Island, after an 11-hour manhunt. On Saturday (Dec 13), a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session. Two students were killed, while nine other people were injured.
Earlier, the Providence Police Department released CCTV footage of the suspect hours after the incident. In the video, the suspect can be seen walking away from the university campus, dressed in all black.
CNN reported, citing multiple federal law enforcement sources, that police recovered two firearms, a revolver and a small Glock handgun with a laser sight attached, from the hotel room he was staying in.
One of the injured victims remains in critical condition, while seven are stable and one was discharged from the hospital, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.
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.
At 4:22 pm, the university sent an emergency alert reporting “an active shooter near Barus and Holley Engineering.” The warning further said, “Lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice.”
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Prior to Erickson’s arrest, US President Donald Trump said that a suspect was in custody, but later said that no suspect was in custody.
Who is Benjamin Erickson?
Originally from Wisconsin, Erickson has served in the Army and supported statehood for DC, law enforcement sources told The New York Post. He served as an infantryman in the US Army from May 2021 to November 2024 and left the military with the rank of specialist.
He has lived in an apartment in Washington, DC, since 2024, the report added, citing public records. His voter registry shows a “statehood” party affiliation.
