The manhunt that paralyzed one of America’s most prestigious universities has ended in a quiet hotel hallway, but the questions are only just beginning. Police in Rhode Island have detained a person of interest—identified by multiple law enforcement sources as 24-year-old army veteran Benjamin W. Erickson—in connection with the Saturday shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine injured.

For the global academic community, and the hundreds of Kenyan families with children studying in the United States, the arrest brings a measure of relief tempered by grief. The attack, unfolding in the middle of final exams, transformed a sanctuary of learning into a crime scene, shattering the quiet of the Ivy League campus in Providence.

The Coventry Raid

The breakthrough came early Sunday morning at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, roughly 32 kilometers from the campus. Acting on digital forensic leads, a tactical team including FBI agents descended on the hotel. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez confirmed the suspect, a man in his 20s, was taken into custody without incident. While police have not officially released his name, US media outlets, citing law enforcement officials, have identified him as Erickson, a former infantryman.

Details emerging from the investigation paint a disturbing picture of the suspect's background:

• Military Service: Erickson served in the US Army from 2021 to November 2024 as an infantry specialist but never deployed.
• Arsenal: Police recovered two handguns and two loaded 30-round magazines at the scene of the arrest.
• The Attack: Investigators believe the shooter fired over 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun inside the Barus and Holley engineering building.

"We are working to understand the motive," Chief Perez noted, emphasizing that the suspect is not currently enrolled at Brown. The precision of the violence—targeting a specific academic building during the height of exam pressure—has left investigators scrambling for a link between the gunman and the university.

40 Rounds in the Engineering Hall

The shooting began around 4:00 PM on Saturday, turning the Barus and Holley building—a hub for physics and engineering students—into a trap. Witnesses described a chaotic scene where the sharp crack of gunfire was initially mistaken for construction noise. When the reality set in, students barricaded doors with desks and hid in laboratories.

"It was a slaughter in a place of science," said one student witness. The gunman, dressed in black, reportedly moved with a chilling calm. By the time the smoke cleared, two students lay dead. Nine others were rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, with injuries ranging from critical gunshot wounds to shrapnel lacerations. As of Monday morning, seven victims remain in stable condition, while one fights for their life in critical care.

The Diaspora Dilemma

For Kenyans, this tragedy resonates deeply. The United States remains the top destination for Kenyan students seeking higher education, with over 4,000 currently enrolled in American institutions. Brown University itself, with its elite status and tuition exceeding $68,000 (approx. KES 8.8 million) per year, hosts a select number of East Africa’s brightest minds.

While no Kenyan casualties have been reported, the psychological toll is immediate. "Every time a phone buzzes with news of a US campus shooting, a mother in Nairobi stops breathing," says education consultant Jane Wanjiru. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue a specific statement, but diaspora associations are urging students to utilize campus mental health resources.

The incident also highlights the stark contrast in campus safety protocols. While Kenyan universities battle their own challenges, the prevalence of active shooter drills in the US is a foreign concept to many arriving students. This event serves as a grim reminder that the pursuit of world-class education often comes with navigating a uniquely American epidemic of gun violence.

As the Brown community begins the slow process of healing, classes have been canceled for the remainder of the semester. University President Christina Paxson, visibly moved, addressed the media on Sunday: "Our community is strong and we’ll get through it, but it’s devastating. We have a lot of recovery ahead of us."