Brown University instructor describes horror inside classroom after gunman burst in and started shooting
At a mid‑term review for a “Principles of Economics” exam, a 21‑year‑old teaching assistant at Brown University was suddenly confronted with a terrifying scene. Joseph Oduro, who had just been discussing key concepts with a handful of students, heard a burst of gunfire and the frantic screams of those nearby. A masked shooter, wielding a rifle, barged through the doorway and opened fire almost immediately.
According to Oduro, someone in the room yelled “something” just before the first shots were fired, but the exact words remain unclear. He, his classmates, and the police are still piecing together what was said during the attack.
“That’s what the students and I — and the detectives — have been trying to piece together,” he told the New York Times.
Oduro had to scramble into the back of the lecture hall, joining roughly twenty other students. One of them was injured in the leg, and the layout of the classroom left those seated in the middle of the room the most exposed to the bullets.
“The students in the middle were impacted the most,” he remembered. “Many of them were lying there and they were not moving. I have no idea how many.”
The incident occurred just before a final exam review Oduro had scheduled for early Tuesday. He was about to say his farewell to the students—expressing gratitude for their effort—when the tragedy erupted.
The FBI Evidence Response Team quickly began processing the scene, while police vehicles parked nearby had already secured the perimeter. Authorities reported that a person of interest had been arrested early Sunday morning.
Oduro studies applied mathematics, economics, and computer science. He noted that “Principles of Economics” is a prerequisite for many upper‑year courses, citing that about 80 % of the students enrolled are freshmen. The review was one of five sessions he offered in the weeks leading up to the final exam.
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