A wave of panic swept through the prestigious Brown University campus on Saturday afternoon as a gunman opened fire during final exams, leaving two people dead and nine others injured.

The attack at the Ivy League institution—a dream destination for many top Kenyan scholars—has once again highlighted the epidemic of gun violence in the United States, marking the country's 389th mass shooting this year alone.

Terror During Finals

The chaos erupted at approximately 16:00 local time (midnight EAT) inside the Barus and Holley engineering building at the eastern edge of the campus. According to officials, the seven-story facility, which houses 117 laboratories and dozens of classrooms, was packed with students sitting for their end-of-semester examinations.

An economics professor, speaking to the local outlet Ocean State Radio, revealed that the shooting occurred during a review session for her course. The session, led by a teaching assistant, was interrupted by gunfire, shattering the quiet focus of students preparing for their finals.

Suspect in Custody

Law enforcement moved quickly to secure the scene. Police confirmed they have detained a "person of interest" in connection with the violence, though their identity and motive remain under investigation. Following the detention, an earlier order for students and residents in the surrounding Providence area to shelter in place was lifted.

The incident has drawn immediate attention to the safety of higher learning institutions in the US. The Gun Violence Archive provided grim context to the tragedy:

• 389 Mass Shootings: The number of such incidents in the US in 2025 so far.
• Definition: The archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more victims are killed or injured, excluding the attacker.

As investigators comb through the engineering block, the university community faces a grim end to the academic year, replacing the stress of exams with the trauma of survival.