Brown University gunman hunt continues as police release person of interest | 15 Dec 2025 | A person of interest who was taken into custody after a fatal shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island on Saturday will “soon be released” from custody as police take their investigation in a new direction. Police stood alongside Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in a late-night conference on Sunday as they shared new details about the shooting that left two dead and injured nine others. Earlier on Sunday, 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson was publicly named and linked to the case after he was detained by police.He was taken into custody early Sunday morning by FBI agents at the Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, where federal authorities were able to track his cellphone following a tip-off from Providence police.