Brown University has long ignored serious safety concerns, dismissing complaints from students, staff, and even law‑enforcement officials, reports The Post have discovered. The latest revelation followed a tragic mass shooting that claimed two lives and injured nine others, prompting critics to accuse the campus of prioritizing prestige over protection.
The shooting occurred in an engineering building that had no swipe‑card access and could be entered through a public coffee shop. Unlike some other facilities, no security officer was stationed at its entrance, according to the school’s own statements.
During the incident, a full 17 minutes elapsed between the 911 call and the university’s first notification to students, as outlined in a timeline posted by the student newspaper. Even the college’s own security personnel have voiced frustration over the institution’s relaxed stance.
In 2023, an administrator reportedly declined to postpone a planned children’s reading when a campus safety officer raised a credible threat of a shooting. At that time, police in Bristol, Conn., had warned Brown that Dennis “DJ” Hernandez—brother of the late NFL star and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez—was planning a mass attack.
Reports described Hernandez as “displaying very erratic behavior” and having mapped out the campus ahead of time. He had also posted ominous messages on Facebook Messenger, claiming, “When I go, I’m taking down everything.
And don’t give a f–k who gets caught in the crossfire. I’ve died for years now and now it’s other people’s turn,” and, “Not all shootings are bad I’m realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen.” Brown’s public‑safety department dismissed the alert as lacking “credible intelligence.”
The children’s event, titled “Storytime with Elvy,” part of a summer collaboration with the Providence Public Library, proceeded as scheduled. The campus’s “comfort dog,” Elvy, was not present because his handler cancelled to avoid the threat. The university later posted, “Elvy has a conflict” but did not elaborate further.
Bristol police eventually arrested Hernandez, who was later sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Earlier in 2021, Brown allegedly failed to call Providence police after a caller claimed to have placed bombs around campus and was armed with an AR‑15, according to the Brown Daily Herald.
The local K‑9 unit was summoned an hour later, and another hour later the administration issued an alert to the student body. One officer later alleged that the university altered his incident report to omit mention of his concerns and the delay, leading to a lawsuit after he developed post‑traumatic stress disorder.
Students and staff have been questioning the school’s commitment to safety since at least 2021. In October, the Brown Daily Herald published a sharp editorial describing the security issues as a “threat to public safety” and criticized the university for failing to fulfill its duty. As of early 2025, security officers have issued two no‑confidence votes against Police Chief Rodney Chatman and the department of public safety.
Brown has declined to respond to The Post’s request for comment. Earlier this week, President Christina Paxon expressed that she was “deeply saddened” to see doubts about the university’s dedication to security.
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