A surprise press briefing on Sunday night revealed that a 24‑year‑old man arrested in connection with the Brown University shooting has now been freed, after officials determined he was the wrong person.
The man, Benjamin Erickson, was taken into custody just before dawn at a Hampton Inn near the campus. Investigators later said that the evidence linking him was weak and that the focus of the case has shifted.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha noted how “difficult” it was to gather proof and follow leads in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, which claimed two student lives and left nine others injured.
He explained that the agency had initially followed a lead that pointed to Erickson as a “person of interest,” but the subsequent inquiry has led the investigation in a different direction.
Neronha reassured the public that there is now no basis to view Erickson as a suspect and emphasized that the case remains far from closed.
He also criticized media outlets for prematurely leaking Erickson’s name, acknowledging it would be hard to retract the information once it’s out.
City officials have kept a visible security presence around Brown University to help restore a sense of normalcy. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter‑in‑place order is unnecessary because no credible threats have surfaced since the shooting.
Governor Daniel McKee announced that he has been in touch with FBI Director Kash Patel, who pledged federal resources to the investigation.
The FBI meanwhile has opened a tip line on its website and continues to search for additional video recordings of the attacker. The agency still believes that the individual captured in the footage released last Saturday remains the prime suspect.
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