by Christen Smith
The man suspected of killing two people and wounding nine others at Brown University on Saturday has been identified, multiple media outlets report.
The Center Square has not independently confirmed the information and a press conference with the Providence Police Department scheduled for Thursday afternoon has been postponed as the manhunt continues. The suspect’s name has not been released.
ENHANCED VIDEO: We are releasing an enhanced video of the person of interest in the Brown University incident. Footage was captured on the East Side of Providence on Saturday afternoon before the incident.
Please share widely and contact the official tip line if you have… pic.twitter.com/mewBSflOiO
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 16, 2025
The break comes six days into the investigation as authorities pleaded for public tips regarding a man matching the gunman’s description captured on security cameras around the Ivy League campus in the hours before the attack.
Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman, were shot and killed while taking final exams at the university’s engineering building.
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, described as being approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a “stocky build.” Photos and videos shared by police show a figure dressed in dark clothing, with a beanie and face mask, walking near Brown University about two hours before the shooting.
In a significant development in the ongoing manhunt, law enforcement officials are now investigating whether the Brown University shooting may be connected to the December 15 killing of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in Brookline, Massachusetts, about 50 miles north of Providence. According to multiple media reports, investigators have identified a person of interest and are actively pursuing leads that could link the two incidents, although no arrests have been made and no definitive connection has been confirmed.
Earlier in the week, the FBI had indicated it saw no link, but sources familiar with the probe say authorities are now examining whether the same individual could be responsible for both crimes.
DEVELOPING…
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Christen Smith is a regional editor at The Center Square. Tennessee Star Executive Editor Christina Botteri contributed to this report.
