The NYPD announced Saturday that it’s deploying extra cops to local universities in response to the deadly mass shooting at Brown University.
The Police Department said there was no known threat or connection to the Big Apple from the shooting that occurred shortly after 4 p.m. at the Ivy league college’s campus, killing two people and injuring eight others in Providence, R.I.
“We are tracking the active shooter incident at Brown University and coordinating with our partners there. At this time, there is no known nexus to NYC, but out of an abundance of caution, we are deploying extra assets to local universities,” NYPD said on X.
Asked if the response calls for cops to be deployed on college campuses themselves or instead in the streets and areas around them, a police spokesperson said, “We’re not elaborating exactly what areas we’re deploying them.”
The NYPD is coordinating with officials in Rhode Island, according to Mayor Adams.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, in a lengthy post on X, decried the “epidemic of gun violence” — pointedly noting it was the day before the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre, when a school shooter killed 26 people, including 20 young children. There is a “cure” for the violence, he said, though not explicitly referring to gun control laws.
“Tonight, on the eve of the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, we find ourselves in mourning once again,” Mamdani posted. “The epidemic of gun violence stretches across America. We reckon with it when we step into our houses of worship and out onto our streets, when we drop our children off at kindergarten and when we fear if those children, now grown, will be safe on campus. But unlike so many other epidemics, we possess the cure. We have the power to eradicate this suffering from our lives if we so choose.”
Meanwhile, in Morningside Heights, Melanie Bernitz, executive VP for Columbia University Life and Wellbeing, sent an email blast to the Columbia community, saying campus security was doing extra building checks.
“As many of you may be aware, there are reports of an active shooter on the campus of Brown University this evening, and we are closely monitoring the situation,” Bernitz’s said. “We are shocked and horrified, and our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone in the Brown community.
“There is no indication of any connection to or heightened risk for Columbia, but out of an abundance of caution, Public Safety is conducting additional building checks and we are working with our NYPD partners on additional safety measures around our campuses.
“As always, please contact Public Safety immediately should you become aware of anything concerning or unusual. Please also make sure you have installed the LionsSafe app.”
The second day of final exams for the fall semester was underway at Brown University as the school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to shelter in place.
The shooting occurred near the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.
A manhunt is currently underway for the shooter, who remains at large.
