A tragic shooting rocked the prestigious Brown University in Rhode Island on Saturday, December 13, leaving at least two dead and eight seriously injured . Authorities immediately launched a manhunt for the shooter, who remains at large.

The Attack and the Authorities' Response

The shooting occurred in the university's engineering and physics building while exams were underway. Providence police quickly cordoned off the campus.

1. The toll: Two people were killed. The eight seriously injured are, according to the mayor, in stable condition.
2. Suspect: The shooter has not yet been apprehended. Preliminary information describes the suspect as "a man dressed in black" .
3. Instructions: A shelter-in-place order has been issued on campus. The FBI has been dispatched to the scene to assist local police.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley expressed his distress at this "day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed would never come," echoing the frequency of gun violence in the United States.

Political Reactions and Confusion

US President Donald Trump reacted via his Truth Social platform. After initially claiming that the suspect had been arrested, he had to retract his statement in a second message, clarifying that "The suspect has NOT been arrested."

Back at the White House, he called the event "a terrible thing" and called for prayers for the victims.

The Persistent Scourge of Firearms

This latest tragedy underscores, once again, the ongoing debate about gun control in the United States. The country has the highest gun fatality rate among developed nations, with more guns in circulation than people .

Despite recurring massacres — in businesses, places of worship, schools or supermarkets — attempts at regulation are hampered by the attachment of a large part of the population to the right to bear arms, guaranteed by the Constitution .

According to the NGO Gun Violence Archive, more than 16,000 people (excluding suicides) have already been killed by firearms in 2024. Massacres in schools, such as the one in Uvalde, Texas in 2022 which claimed the lives of 19 schoolchildren and two teachers, continue to painfully mark the American collective memory.