As the fifth day of searching for the gunman in the deadly Brown University mass shooting came to a close, Providence police shared a map of the movements of a person of interest within the city on Dec. 13 — the day of the shooting.
For the last several days, investigators have focused on identifying a person of interest they’ve described as being approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a “stocky build.” Photos and videos shared by police show what appears to be man dressed in dark clothing, including a beanie and face mask, walking down the street near Brown University approximately two hours before the shooting.
Law enforcement officials have repeatedly stated that identifying this person is crucial for moving the investigation forward.
The map, which was shared Wednesday afternoon, shows Providence streets on which investigators have confirmed the person of interest was seen before and after the shooting, which took place around 4 p.m. on Dec. 13.
It also indicates the rectangular area of the city they are hoping to garner additional footage of the person of interest from, from as far back as a week prior to the shooting. They believe he may have walked around this part of the city, which amounts to about a quarter of a square mile, to scope it out prior to shooting.
Investigators’ area of focus includes the eastern half of Brown’s campus, including the Barus and Holley engineering and physics building where sophomore Ella Cook and first-year student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov were shot and killed and nine other students were injured Saturday afternoon.
As of Wednesday afternoon, one of the injured students remains in critical but stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Five more are in stable condition at the hospital, and three have been discharged.
“The parents that I spoke with today all reported that their kids were improving,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Providence police shared photos of a new person they are trying to identify that they say was “in proximity of” the person of interest on the day of the shooting. They did not include a description of the new person, but the photos show them standing outside wearing a grey hood, blue jacket and black pants.
“We truly believe based on the video footage that we have been watching for a few days that they may have relevant information to the investigation,” Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez, Jr., said Wednesday.
When asked for further details on how the new person is related to the case, Perez added that the person was “close enough” to the person of interest “that we feel that we need to speak with them.” The videos from which investigators are pulling images do not have audio, he said.
During the Wednesday press conference, Neronha once again called on the public to share information they may have about the shooting or person of interest with police. He went as far as encouraging the gunman to turn himself in.
Though several days have gone by without law enforcement identifying a suspect in the shooting, Neronha said investigators do not feel discouraged. This type of investigation “takes a long time,” he said.
“He will be caught. And it’s just a matter of time before we catch him,” the attorney general said.
The investigation into the shooting also spilled over state lines into Massachusetts on Wednesday. North Attleborough police confirmed that leads in the case had brought law enforcement into the city, which borders Rhode Island and is approximately 15 miles from Providence.
North Attleborough’s police chief specified in a press release that investigators were not searching for the shooter in the city. There is “no immediate threat” to the community, he said.
It is unclear whether any other Massachusetts communities have been part of the investigation.
Law enforcement officials are still calling on anyone associated with Brown or who lives or spends time around Providence to review the photos and videos of the person of interest, as well as the new person who was seen in proximity with him on the day of the shooting.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the “identification, arrest and conviction” of the gunman.
The Providence Police Department asks that information regarding the mass shooting be shared via phone at 401-272-3121 or through the FBI’s tip line.
