Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting ID’d As Chilling Details Emerge – RedState
Now that law enforcement has arrested a person of interest, the investigation into Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University appears to have gained momentum. RedState’s Jen van Laar covered the latest developments earlier Sunday, reporting that a “person of interest” had been arrested at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 15 miles southeast of Brown’s campus. According to Jen, agents from the Boston FBI field office followed a tip from the Providence Police Department and it led them to the Coventry hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning.
NBC News is now reporting that several “senior law enforcement officials” have confirmed to them that the person arrested at the hotel is a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin named Benjamin Erickson.
NBC News: Three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation said the man police arrested in connection with the active shooter incident at Brown University has been identified as:
Benjamin Erickson
Date of birth: 8/10/01Reported with @jonathan4ny
– Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) December 14, 2025
In a subsequent tweet, NBC News’ Tom Winter revealed that Benjamin Erickson may have “an extensive mental health history” and that law enforcement officials are still looking for connections between Erickson and Brown University.
MORE: Law enforcement officials say they are looking into what could be extensive mental health history for Erickson. They say they are also exploring a possible connection to Brown University.
It is also reported that Erickson previously served in the 201st Military Intelligence Expeditionary Brigade.
Sources have confirmed some details regarding Erickson’s arrest. FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities tracked their person of interest using cellphone geolocation data. “Thank you to the men and women of the FBI and our partners for their continued teamwork. Please continue to pray for the victims and their families, as well as everyone at Brown University,” Patel said in a statement.
It was also revealed that a “unique handgun laser light” helped authorities nail the suspect.
A revolver — and a small handgun equipped with a special laser light — were found in the hotel room of a man now considered a “person of interest” in the gruesome case, according to sources and CNN.When asked where he was on Saturday, the man claimed he was in his room the entire time, CNN reported.
Once inside the hotel room, police allegedly found two weapons. According to one account, “Law enforcement sources previously told The Associated Press that the shooter in the Brown shooting was armed with a handgun and fired more than 40 .9mm rounds when he stormed a classroom during review for an economics exam.”
READ MORE: ‘Person of Interest’ Arrested in Brown Shooting; Attack Occurred in Judaic Studies Teacher’s Classroom
New: Video of Brown University shooting suspect released; 2 dead, 9 injured after campus shooting
Although it is not yet known if there is a significant connection between Erickson and Brown University, it has been confirmed that the course he was targeting was Principles of Economics, taught by Professor Rachel Friedberg. Friedberg was not present at the study session, but his teaching assistant confirmed that he and several students hid behind a classroom desk in the distressing moments after the shooting began.
Two students were killed in the carnage and nine others were injured. Many injured people were still hospitalized Sunday evening.
In a somewhat bizarre twist, one X user noted that Benjamin Erickson was two days older than one of the gunmen involved in the Bondi Beach massacre that targeted Jews celebrating the start of Hanukkah.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article identified Erickson as a suspect in the shooting. Law enforcement officials said the person arrested was a “person of interest” and not a suspect at this time.)
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