Was Brown University shooting politically motivated? MAGA panics, Trump says...

MAGA conservatives have suggested that the deadly shooting at Brown University was a politically motivated attack. This comes as the manhunt for the suspect continues. On Saturday (Dec 13), a gunman opened fire in a classroom at the US Ivy League school during a final exam study session, killing two and injuring nine people. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Providence police have released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the shooting. Meanwhile, a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter has also been announced.

Conspiracy theories float as FBI Director Kash Patel once again faces scrutiny over the handling of the case involving the shooting that killed two people – Ella Cook, the vice president of the school’s Republican club, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzoko, a neurosurgeon.

Sharing a list of violent attacks against right-wing personalities like Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson wrote on X, “Ella Cook was just 19 years old—a Conservative, a Christian, and Vice President of the Republican Club at Brown University. She was brutally killed by a shooter in what appears to be a targeted political attack.”

He added, “If you still don’t see what’s happening, you haven’t been paying attention.”

Actor and Trump supporter James Woods also shared similar views, saying, “They will keep assaulting and murdering conservative Americans until we are wiped out or start fighting back.”

What did Trump say about the shooting?

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Monday (Dec 15) that it was not yet known whether the attack was targeted. He said that no motive has been identified for the gunman to open fire at Brown University.

“We’re going to see what happens,” Trump told reporters. “Hopefully they're going to capture this animal.”

When asked why the FBI has still not been able to identify the shooter, Trump defended the agency, saying that the issues lie with the university.

“This was a school problem. They had their own guards,” Trump said. “They had their own police, had their own everything. But you’d have to ask that question really to the school, not to the FBI. We came in after the fact, and the FBI will do a good job, but they came in after the fact.”

Hours after the shooting, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the suspect was in custody. However, shortly after, he made another post saying that the suspect was not in custody.

On Monday, the FBI and the Providence police released new videos and images of a person of interest in connection with the Brown University shooting. The visuals, captured on a CCTV camera about two hours before the shooting, show a man in dark clothes and a face mask. The images show the person near Hope and Benevolent streets, which are close to the scene of the shooting. Meanwhile, the FBI has also announced a reward of $50,000 for any information about the shooter as the manhunt continues.