Manhunt Continues as Security Footage Reveals Suspect Cased Providence Campus Hours Before Attack

On December 13, 2025, two Brown University students lost their lives and nine others were wounded when a masked gunman opened fire during a final exam review session. Five days later, neighborhood security cameras have become the most critical tool in tracking the suspect who methodically surveyed the College Hill area for hours before executing the deadliest campus shooting in Rhode Island history. As families grieve and a community struggles to feel safe, investigators are piecing together a chilling timeline captured on doorbell cameras, traffic systems, and private security footage.

A Campus Under Siege

The afternoon of Saturday, December 13 started like any other finals week day at Brown University. Students gathered in Room 166 of the Barus and Holley engineering building for an economics review session led by teaching assistant Joseph Oduro. According to The New York Times, about 60 students filled the 186-seat classroom, preparing for their upcoming final exam.

At 4:03 p.m., a masked gunman entered the first-floor classroom and opened fire. Oduro later told reporters the attacker fired approximately 40 rounds. Students scrambled for cover, some hiding under desks while others tried to escape through exits.

The victims who died were identified as Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore from Alabama and vice president of Brown’s College Republicans, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Virginia who had dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. Nine other students sustained gunshot wounds and were transported to Rhode Island Hospital.

The Digital Breadcrumb Trail

What makes this investigation particularly complex is what authorities have learned from neighborhood surveillance footage. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez revealed that the person of interest was spotted in the College Hill neighborhood as early as 10:30 a.m. on the day of the shooting, more than five hours before the attack.

“We have video footage of that and we believe that he was actually casing out this area to commit the crime,” Perez said at a news conference, according to PBS News.

Between 2:00 p.m. and 2:53 p.m., security cameras captured a masked individual carrying a satchel moving deliberately through the neighborhood. The footage shows the person walking along Manning, Cooke, George, and Hope Streets before heading toward campus. This person wore dark clothing, a surgical-style mask, and a black beanie, making identification difficult but not impossible.

The Aldrich House Connection

One particularly significant piece of footage shows the person of interest pausing and turning near the Aldrich House, which investigators say is cooperating with the probe. The FBI briefly posted, then deleted, a video note indicating the person “abruptly turns west down George” Street, suggesting potential awareness of being watched or recorded.

The challenge facing investigators is massive. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley explained to Fox News that officers are “looking at terabytes of data” for moments “shorter than somebody taking a breath.” The investigation has grown to involve more than 400 police officers, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

After the Shooting: A Calm Exit

Perhaps most disturbing is what surveillance footage reveals about the shooter’s behavior immediately after the attack. At 4:06 p.m., just three minutes after the shooting began, cameras captured the person of interest walking calmly toward Hope Street as a police car arrived and an officer ran toward the engineering building.

The suspect then turned onto Waterman Street and walked east in a leisurely manner as the 4:15 p.m. sunset intensified search efforts. This calculated departure suggests premeditation and familiarity with escape routes, further supporting the theory that the attacker had surveyed the area beforehand.

The Investigation Hits Obstacles

Despite the wealth of video evidence, authorities have faced significant setbacks. The Barus and Holley building, built in an older architectural style, has limited surveillance cameras compared to newer campus structures. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha noted the shooting occurred in a section with “fewer, if any cameras.”

Additionally, snow fell overnight after the shooting, hampering the collection of physical evidence like fingerprints. While investigators recovered DNA and fingerprint evidence from shell casings at the scene, these have not yet matched anyone in existing databases, according to CNN.

The investigation also suffered a 24-hour delay when authorities detained a 24-year-old Wisconsin man Sunday morning based on an anonymous tip. The man was released that evening when ballistics evidence did not match a weapon in his possession, and he was cleared as a person of interest.

A Community Asking for Answers

The prolonged manhunt has left the Brown campus and greater Providence community on edge. Mayor Smiley acknowledged the difficulty: “It is going to be hard for my city to feel safe going forward. This has shaken us.”

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, urged social media users to stop spreading conspiracy theories. “There is simply no need from an investigative point of view for people who have no idea what they’re talking about to offer their stupid and ill-informed views,” Whitehouse said, according to Fox News.

Providence Public Schools canceled all after-school activities for the week, and several private schools closed Monday out of caution. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee announced a working group to discuss enhancing safety at universities statewide.

The Role of Modern Surveillance

This case highlights both the promise and limitations of our increasingly surveilled society. While Brown University has approximately 1,200 cameras across campus, the shooter apparently knew how to avoid or minimize exposure to them. Residential doorbell cameras and vehicle-mounted systems like those in Teslas have proven invaluable.

Mayor Smiley confirmed the city would review its camera coverage: “We will certainly be doing a review to think about where we might need additional camera footage.” The city already uses license plate readers and other technology, but gaps remain.

FBI Special Agent Ted Docks emphasized the bureau has deployed “almost 30 victim specialists, special agents and analysts from all over the country” to Providence. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the shooter.

Questions About Campus Security

Students and parents are asking difficult questions about how a gunman entered an unlocked building during finals week without being stopped. Brown University Provost Francis J. Doyle III canceled all remaining classes and exams for the semester, but that decision has brought little comfort to those questioning whether more could have been done to prevent the tragedy.

A Brown student who wished to remain anonymous told Fox News that the review session was posted on Canvas, the university’s course management system accessible to all 473 students enrolled in the economics course. This raises the possibility that the shooter either was or knew a Brown student.

Rodney Chatman, Brown’s vice president for public safety and emergency management, confirmed the university did not have a security officer posted inside the Barus and Holley building on the day of the shooting.

The Human Cost Beyond Statistics

Behind the investigation timeline and security footage are real people whose lives have been forever changed. Brown’s men’s volleyball team announced that freshman setter Spencer Yang, who was shot in the leg, has been released from the hospital. Even after being wounded, Yang “selflessly provided aid to a severely wounded classmate until first responders arrived,” his teammates wrote on Instagram.

Joseph McGonagle, a friend of victim Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, told CNN that Umurzokov wasn’t even enrolled in the economics class. He had simply tagged along with a friend to the review session “to keep them company. I mean that’s something he would do.”

Ella Cook was remembered by her church, the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, and by fellow members of Brown’s College Republicans. Both Alabama senators, Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, released statements mourning her death.

Moving Forward: A Call for Change

This shooting marks the latest in an escalating crisis of gun violence on American campuses. Sandy Hook Promise, an anti-gun violence nonprofit, released a statement noting the tragedy occurred just one day after the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

“Our hearts are with Brown University as this tragic story unfolds,” the organization wrote. “We cannot allow this to keep happening. We must #EndGunViolence.”

As Providence Police Chief Perez said, this is “probably the most intense investigation going on right now in this nation.” The combination of traditional police work and 21st-century technology may eventually identify the shooter, but it won’t heal the wounds left behind.

What You Can Do

If you have information about the Brown University shooting:

• Contact Providence Police immediately
• Review any security camera or doorbell footage from December 6-13
• Check vehicle-mounted cameras (like Tesla systems) for relevant footage
• Call the FBI tip line with any information
• Share photos or videos anonymously through official law enforcement channels

Conclusion: Technology and Tragedy

The Brown University shooting demonstrates how modern surveillance technology can help investigators track a suspect’s movements while also revealing gaps in campus security infrastructure. As the manhunt continues, families grieve, students struggle to feel safe, and a community demands answers.

The neighborhood cameras that captured the suspect’s methodical reconnaissance of the College Hill area paint a disturbing picture of premeditation. Yet they haven’t yet led to an arrest. This case will likely prompt universities nationwide to reassess their security measures, camera coverage, and emergency response protocols.

We owe it to Ella Cook, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, and the nine students who survived their injuries to demand better. That means investing in campus security, addressing America’s gun violence epidemic, and ensuring no other students experience the terror of an active shooter during finals week.

Join the Conversation

What do you think should be done to improve campus safety? How can universities better protect students while maintaining open, accessible learning environments? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and let’s work together toward solutions.

If this story moved you, share it with your network. The more people who understand what happened at Brown University, the more pressure we can put on lawmakers to take meaningful action against gun violence.