Brown University students recall barricading on campus: "Felt dystopian"

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Three days after two Brown University students were changeable and killed and 9 others were wounded successful a wide shooting, the gunman remained astatine ample — and students accidental the Ivy League assemblage field they had considered a harmless spot nary longer feels the same.

Talia Levine, a elder astatine Brown University studying planetary and nationalist affairs, told CBS News connected Monday that she was connected the 11th level of the Sciences Library with her friends erstwhile the shooting occurred astatine the adjacent engineering building.

"This has been my location for the past 8 years, and I deliberation it is truthful profoundly concerning to consciousness unsafe here, astir apt for the archetypal clip successful my life," the Providence, Rhode Island, section said. "Overall, the sentiment among students has conscionable been deep-rooted distress and fearfulness that this could hap successful a spot we see truthful harmless and our home."

Brown University memorial Brown University students intermission successful beforehand of a memorial astatine the Barus & Holley School connected December 15, 2025. Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Levine recalled barricading for 2 hours connected Saturday earlier a SWAT squad came and cleared the floor. The students were past transferred to the basement, wherever they waited for different 2 hours, she said.

"We were successful a authorities wherever Brown felt incredibly safe, and that bubble of safeness was wholly popped erstwhile we were violated by a shooter entering our campus," Levine said. "I deliberation it volition instrumentality clip and effort to beryllium capable to rebuild immoderate consciousness of normalcy among students."

Another student, sophomore Aurna Mukherjee, said she had primitively planned to spell to an exam reappraisal league that was being held wherever the shooting occurred, but decided to survey successful her dorm instead.

"Getting the substance from Brown saying there's an progressive shooter, if you spot them run, hide, felt dystopian to me," Mukherjee told CBS News, saying she went to fell successful her friend's country and barricaded determination due to the fact that determination was an contented with her door. "I ne'er imagined being successful a presumption wherever I would beryllium having to fell from an progressive shooter connected campus."

With last exams canceled, the bulk of students had near field by Monday. But those that remained were connected alert, fixed the shooter has not been caught.

"I deliberation everyone is truly frightened close now. And, and I deliberation that determination is simply a batch of fear," Eno Thomson-Tribe, a person of 1 of the slain students, 18-year-old freshman Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, told CBS News. "To cognize that this idiosyncratic is inactive connected the escaped ... is precise scary."

Thomson-Tribe described Umurzokov, whose household migrated from Uzbekistan erstwhile helium was young, arsenic "magnetic," caring and supportive of his friends. 

The different pupil who was killed, a 19-year-old sophomore from Alabama named Ella Cook, was remembered by Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth arsenic a "devoted Christian and a committed blimpish who represented the precise champion of Alabama. A agleam aboriginal was ended overmuch excessively soon."

Police connected Monday released several videos of a idiosyncratic of interest, but a fishy has not been identified. Authorities accidental they bash not judge determination is immoderate contiguous menace to Brown oregon the section community.

Brown University Shooting This combo representation made with photos provided by the FBI and the Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department shows a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the shooting that occurred astatine Brown University successful Providence, R.I., Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.  (FBI/Providence Police Department via AP)

Despite accrued constabulary presence, Mukherjee says it volition instrumentality immoderate clip for students to consciousness harmless again.

"I americium struggling to envision however we would spell backmost to field and spell get a matcha oregon research restaurants connected Thayer Street the mode we did before. I americium definite astatine immoderate constituent we'll get person to that," Mukherjee said.

Tom Hanson and Megan Cerullo contributed to this report.

Brown University pupil recounts shooting

Brown University pupil describes barricading successful room during shooting 05:18

Brown University pupil describes barricading successful room during shooting

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