Authorities say they will release person of interest detained in Brown University shooting

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Officials in Providence say they will release a person of interest detained following a Brown University shooting that killed two students and injured nine.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and other officials made the disclosure at a hastily convened news conference on Sunday night, more than 12 hours after revealing that they had detained a person in connection with the attack.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Police in Rhode Island say they have a person of interest in custody after a shooting at Brown University killed two students and wounded nine others.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon in a classroom during final exams.

The shooting paralyzed the Providence campus, with students sheltering in place for hours. Nine students with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital, with one in critical condition. One student was later released, said university President Christina Paxson.

An FBI agent says the arrest took place at a hotel in Coventry, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Providence.

The latest:

Person of interest is from Wisconsin, officials say

The person of interest is a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The people were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

—-By Mike Balsamo and Eric Tucker

Vigil held to remember victims

City leaders, residents and others gathered at a Providence park Sunday evening to honor the victims. The event originally was scheduled as a Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah lighting.

“For those who know at least bit of the Hanukkah story, it is quite clear that if we can come together as a community to shine a little bit of light tonight, there’s nothing better that we can be doing,” Mayor Brett Smiley said at a news conference earlier in the day.

Smiley said he visited some wounded students and was inspired by their courage, hope and gratitude. One told him that active shooting drills done in high school proved helpful.

“The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me, is frankly pretty overwhelming,” he said.

A K-12 school in North Carolina confirms a recent graduate is among the wounded

Durham Academy, a private school in Durham, said in a statement that Kendall Turner was in critical but stable condition, and that her parents were with her.

“Our school community is rallying around Kendall, her classmates, and her loved ones, and we will continue to offer our full support in the days ahead,” the school said.

One of the firearms recovered from the person of interest was equipped with a laser sight, a law enforcement official says

The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The green laser projects a visible dot onto whatever the gun is aimed at, a feature commonly used to aid targeting.

—-By Alanna Durkin Richer

Shooter fired more than 40 rounds in a classroom

The shooter opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building using a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Two handguns were recovered when the person of interest was taken into custody and authorities also found two loaded 30-round magazines, the official said.

The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

—-By Alanna Durkin Richer

Sandy Hook Promise group releases statement

A group that works to end gun violence has issued a statement in support of the victims of the shooting at Brown University.

The statement was released Saturday by Sandy Hook Promise.

“Thirteen years ago today, 26 precious lives were stolen at Sandy Hook Elementary. It was an attack that could have been prevented if the warning signs had been taken seriously. Now, the Brown University community has been shaken by this same kind of nightmare, students shot and killed in their classroom,” the statement said.

“The fact that these college students were elementary school students in 2012 underscores the sobering truth: an entire generation of youth in America has grown up with threats of being shot in a classroom.”

Investigation progressing ‘extremely fast’

Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez did not give any details about the progress of the investigation except to say it was progressing “extremely fast.”

No other information about the progress of the investigation was released at a noon news conference in Providence.

Meanwhile, the city’s mayor said he visited victims in the hospital.

“The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me was frankly overwhelming,” Mayor Brett Smiley said.

The semester’s remaining classes, exams are canceled

Classes and exams have been canceled. University officials also said students are free to leave.

Those who remain on campus will have access to services and support, Provost Francis Doyle said in a statement.

“At this time, it is essential that we focus our efforts on providing care and support to the members of our community as we grapple with the sorrow, fear and anxiety that is impacting all of us right now,” Doyle wrote.

Senate Democrat criticizes GOP leaders over gun policy

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the leading Democratic voices on gun policy, said Sunday that the prospects of new restrictions on firearms were “slim.”

“As we know right now, unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress don’t ever meaningfully break from this president,” Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” arguing that Trump and the GOP were too aligned with the gun lobby.

Murphy added: “That doesn’t mean I won’t try.”