The Providence Police Department officials announced that the person of interest in the tragic Boston University shooting has been released after investigators identified a new lead. Providence’s Mayor Brett Smiley, along with investigators and local authorities, announced the update at a press conference.
Now-former person of interest Benjamin Erickson was arrested by authorities early Sunday morning in connection with to the fatal Brown University shooting. However, after several hours of questioning, investigators, along with Mayor Brett Smiley, revealed he was not the shooter and were releasing the 24-year-old.
BREAKING: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced that law enforcement will release the person of interest in the Brown University shooting who was detained earlier Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/KyvMpEA1cE
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 15, 2025
Addressing reporters, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said the direction of the investigation has “changed.” Neronha also acknowledged that investigators had identified some evidence suggesting a possible link between Erickson and the crime.
However, Neronha quickly dismissed Erickson as a person of interest and justified his release, saying, “I think it’s fair to say that there’s no basis to consider him a person of interest, and that’s why he’s being released.”
With Erickson ruled out as a suspect, investigators now appear to be pursuing a potential new lead and working from a different angle, a shift Neronha described as common in ongoing investigations. He also clarified that Erickson was never formally categorized as a “person of interest.”
How Erickson’s name and details of his detention became public remains unclear to authorities. Officials urged both the media and the public to avoid leaks, warning that such disclosures could compromise the investigation and delay the search for the real shooter, who remains at large.
🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: BROWN UNIVERSITY PERSON OF INTEREST RELEASED BY COPS, GUNMAN STILL ROAMING
Major curveball in the Brown University finals-week massacre:
The detained 24-year-old person of interest is walking free, as Providence Mayor Brett Smiley drops the news, but the real… https://t.co/uZr2rECNoA pic.twitter.com/w8HBR4X9SL
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 15, 2025
With the real shooter still at large, many students and parents have expressed serious concerns about campus safety as classes reportedly resume amid the ongoing investigation. Moreover, following the release of the former person of interest, the community remains on alert.
Mayor Smiley reassured Providence residents, as well as Brown University students, parents, and staff, about their safety following Erickson’s release. Smiley said, “The status of safety in our community remains unchanged.” He added that since the initial call, there has been no confirmed “credible threat” to the community or its residents.
Continuing to reassure the public, Smiley outlined the precautions in place to protect public safety while the shooter remains at large. He said, “We will continue to have an enhanced police presence throughout the city and the Brown (University) campus.”
JUST IN: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley after deadly Brown University shooting:
“When I was at the hospital today, one of the students that showed tremendous courage literally said to me, ‘You know, that active shooter drill they made me do in high school actually helped me in… pic.twitter.com/7C6Q2DLPzU
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 14, 2025
Smiley also urged viewers to come forward if they have any relevant information about the Brown University shooting that could assist with the investigation, either by calling the Providence Police Department’s non-emergency number or by uploading photos or videos from the day of the shooting to the FBI’s official website.
Authorities continue their manhunt for the shooter as they investigate leads related to the person responsible for the deaths of two people and the injuries of nine others, who are reportedly still recovering from the December 13, 2025, shooting.
