Joseph Oduro, a Brown University student, told ABC News that a gunman had burst into the room where he was sitting in room preparation for a review session for an economics final and locked eyes with him.
Oduro said, “I immediately, when I saw him, I saw a gun. The gun was so big and long that I genuinely thought, like, okay, this is the end of the road for me.” The incident happened on Saturday, when at least two people were killed and nine others were injured. However, police reportedly arrested a person of interest on Sunday, whose name has not been disclosed. The suspect is being held at a hotel in Coventry, R.I.
Police have not revealed a possible motive for the shooting and no charges have been filed yet. As ABC News reported, “Oduro said he was in room 160 of the Barus & Holley building on the Providence, R.I., Brown campus with about 50 to 60 students when they heard a loud commotion, including what sounded like screams and gunshots, outside the door.”
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Oduro further added, “And around five seconds or so later, we see a gunman walk in on the left-hand side.” He described the gunman’s clothing as dark and added that he was covered from head to toe, with a noticeable bulge on his chest. Oduro mentioned that the bulge could have been ammunition or it could have been a bulletproof vest. According to Oduro, only the gunman’s hands and eyes were visible.
He then added, “We made eye contact. I know he mumbled something, screamed something, I don’t know exactly what was said, but he entered the room and you could just see the panic in all the students’ eyes. I was standing in the front so as soon as he walked in, he immediately saw me and I immediately saw him.”
He said then the gunfire started, and students panicked, running to save their lives. He dropped to the ground, urging other students to take cover. Some students were shot, and Oduro said he heard at least 50 rounds of gunfire.
🚨 BREAKING: Ella Cook, 19, the VP of Brown University’s Republican Club, has been identified as one of the two students kiIIed in yesterday’s shooting
Say a prayer for Ella’s family tonight🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/UBIzW60i9m
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 15, 2025
Oduro said he feared he was going to die and texted his parents. Talking to ABC News, he said, “I texted them, and I said, ‘I love you all and I’m sorry for all the trouble that I put you through and I just love you all, and I’m thankful for all of your lives.”
He also said that there was a student who was lying beside him and had been shot in both her legs. He described the incident, “If she were to make a noise … anything like that and the gunman would have heard, we have no idea what would have happened. I think the state of emergency would have been way worse. So I gave her my hand to squeeze as hard as she could. I said, ‘Put all your pain on me because I could take it.’”
The incident understandably caused panic among the students, who took every measure to protect themselves.
