Police release photos of person of interest in Brown University shooting
by Jake Thomas · UPIDec. 16 (UPI) -- Authorities on Tuesday released images of the person of interest in the Brown University shooting as law enforcement continues to search for the gunman and the community remains on edge.
The Providence Police Department released enhanced videos of the person of interest captured by cameras in the residential area near the campus building where a shooter opened fire Saturday.
The videos show a person wearing what appears to be a medical mask with his head covered by a knit cap walking down a residential sidewalk.
Speaking during a press conference, Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez Jr. asked the public to carefully watch the individual's body movements and way they carry their weight. He said investigators are combing through terabytes of data to identify the shooter who killed two students and left nine other people injured.
Perez called on the public to reach out with any tips or additional video footage captured from home security systems. He asked for video footage going back at least a week, saying that criminals often case crime scenes beforehand. He said he had learned that the person of interest was in the neighborhood the morning before the shooting.
"We're looking for a moment that is shorter than somebody taking a breath," he said. "It's incredibly hard work to do that."
The FBI on Monday released a poster with pictures of the person of interest who was described as "approximately 5'8 with a stocky build." Police also detained a person of interest on Sunday who was later released.
Perez appeared at the press conference with other officials, including the state attorney general, the mayor of Providence, the head of the FBI's Boston branch and the president of Brown University.
They offered no additional details about the age of the shooter, their location, connection to the university or possible motive. Officials were pressed by reporters about how it was possible for the shooter to remain at large and how a private university with a sizable endowment was relying on residential security footage.
The shooting took place at the Barus and Holley Engineering Building. Attorney General Peter Neronha said the shooting took place in an older section of the building with less surveillance. He also noted that the building is located on "the very edge of the campus."
"Those of you who know Providence know, you are very quickly into a residential neighborhood," he said.
Members of the public can submit tips to a website set up by the FBI or by calling 401-272-3121.