Hunt for Brown University killer handicapped by security lapses, campus budget cuts

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A masked gunman slipped into a Brown University survey hallway during finals week and opened occurrence — and not a azygous surveillance camera caught him inside. As investigators hunt for the killer, attraction is turning to the university’s information measures and caller fund cuts.

Facing a $29 cardinal fund shortage and fiscal strain, Brown leaders announced 48 layoffs successful September, successful summation to the elimination of 55 unfilled module positions, the schoolhouse said successful a statement.

Notifications to affected employees went retired opening the week of Sept. 22.

At the time, Brown President Christina Paxson and different apical administrators besides announced "modest, impermanent reductions successful accusation exertion and facilities renewal."

TRUMP URGES CAPTURE OF 'ANIMAL' GUNMAN IN BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING, SAYS NO MOTIVE YET

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson speaks during a quality league aft a wide shooting prompted a lockdown connected field connected Dec. 13, 2025.  (Getty)

"Operating outgo reductions volition inevitably make challenges for immoderate units and volition impact work levels crossed campus," they said.

The schoolhouse did not instantly respond to questions astir whether the IT cuts impacted field security.

Experts person said it's apt that the slayer had a transportation to the schoolhouse and a imaginable grievance, but authorities person said they bash not cognize the motive and with the suspect's individuality unknown, it's unclear whether they are a existent oregon erstwhile worker oregon student.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF TERROR THAT LEFT 2 DEAD, 9 INJURED

"If this were a straightforward layoff grievance, you would typically expect administrators oregon determination makers to beryllium the focus, but investigators cannot presume that," said Jason Pack, a erstwhile supervisory peculiar cause with the FBI. "In existent cases, grievance-driven unit often shifts toward wherever entree is easiest and emotions are highest. That is wherefore this could beryllium 1 of galore reasons astir 'why' this happened that mightiness pb to a 'who.'"

He said investigators are apt hard astatine enactment down the scenes — illustrated by the merchandise of images Wednesday of a caller idiosyncratic constabulary are hoping to talk with, who they accidental was seen adjacent the idiosyncratic of interest.

Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team hunt for grounds adjacent the field of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, successful Providence, R.I. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez said Tuesday evening that they don't person immoderate surveillance video showing the gunman wrong the Barus and Holley Building. Authorities person released a bid of surveillance videos showing a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the surrounding country for hours earlier the shooting and past fleeing the scene. They are asking for the public's assistance identifying him.

WATCH:  ‘America’s Most Wanted’ co-host believes Brown University shooter has ‘serious connection’ to school

BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT DESCRIBES HARROWING HOURS-LONG LOCKDOWN AFTER DEADLY CAMPUS SHOOTING

"Most shootings similar this extremity the aforesaid way: hard constabulary work, integer grounds that tightens the container and 1 important portion of accusation from the nationalist that confirms what investigators already believe," Pack said.

In a statement, a Brown spokesperson said that the assemblage had much than 1,200 cameras positioned wrong and extracurricular much than 250 buildings, but administrators person struggled to explicate an evident dearth of cameras wrong the Barus and Holley Building.

Surveillance camera graphic shows blindspot adjacent Barus and Holley gathering astatine Brown University. (Surveillance Under Surveillance)

"Brown’s information cameras bash not widen to each hallway, classroom, laboratory and office," the spokesperson said. "For information reasons, it is not prudent to stock wherever cameras are and are not comparative to idiosyncratic buildings and locations."

PERSON OF INTEREST IN CUSTODY FOLLOWING DEADLY SHOOTING AT BROWN UNIVERSITY

Still, the schoolhouse has notably much cameras present than it did successful 2000, erstwhile determination were lone 60 that recorded to VHS tapes, according to the Brown Daily Herald, a pupil newspaper.

Susan Constantine, a assemblage connection expert, said 1 cardinal marker successful his question is an unusual gait, successful which his close limb bows inward portion his toed points outward arsenic helium walks.

A divided representation showing aggregate inactive frames from the surveillance video taken adjacent Brown University of a idiosyncratic of involvement earlier and aft a schoolhouse shooting Saturday. (FBI Boston)

With a disguise connected and constricted cameras, there's nary wide presumption of his look oregon age. However, Constantine said immoderate of his assemblage connection suggests helium whitethorn beryllium older than a emblematic undergrad student.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS ELLA COOK: 'AN INCREDIBLE LIGHT'

"The hands down the backmost appears from idiosyncratic much mature, person to mid-thirties," she told Fox News Digital. "It’s either taste oregon age."

A inactive representation from surveillance video shows the idiosyncratic of involvement successful the Brown University wide shooting with his arms down his backmost connected a sidewalk adjacent the transgression scene. (Providence Police Department)

The shooting near 2 students dead, identified arsenic Ella Cook of Alabama and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Virginia, and 9 injured.

Of the survivors, 2 person been released from the infirmary portion 1 is successful captious but unchangeable information and six much are successful unchangeable condition.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News' Sandy Ibrahim contributed to this report.