Now that law enforcement has detained a person of interest, the investigation into Saturday's mass-shooting at Brown University seems to have moved into overdrive. RedState's Jen van Laar covered the latest developments earlier Sunday, reporting that a "person of interest" had been taken into custody at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, which is about 15 miles southeast of the Brown campus. Per Jen, agents from the Boston FBI field office followed a tip from the Providence Police Department and that led them to the hotel in Coventry 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 taken into custody at the hotel is a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin by the name of Benjamin Erickson.
NBC News: Three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation say the man police have in custody in connection with the Brown University active shooter incident has been identified as:
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) December 14, 2025
Benjamin Erickson
DOB: 8/10/01
Reported w/ @jonathan4ny
In a subsequent tweet, Tom Winter of NBC News revealed that Benjamin Erickson may have an "extensive mental health history" and law enforcement officials are still looking for ties between Erickson and Brown University.
MORE: Law enforcement officials say they are looking into what might be an extensive mental health history for Erickson.They say they are also looking into a possible connection to Brown University.
It's also being reported that Erickson once served in the 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade.
Sources have confirmed some of the details around Erickson's arrest. FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities tracked their person of interest using cellphone geolocation data. "Thanks to the men and women of the FBI and our partners for their continued teamwork. Please continue praying for the victims and their families — as well as all those at Brown University," Patel said in a statement.
It's also been revealed that a "unique handgun laser light" helped officials nail the suspect.
A revolver — and a small handgun equipped with a special laser light — was found in the hotel room of a man now considered a “person of interest’’ in the horrific case, according to sources and CNN.
Asked where he’d been Saturday, the man claimed he’d been in his room the whole time, CNN said.
Once inside the hotel room, police allegedly found two weapons. According to one account, "Law-enforcement sources previously told the Associated Press that the gunman in the Brown shooting was armed with a handgun and fired more than 40 .9mm rounds when he stormed a classroom during a review for an economics exam."
New: Video of Brown University Shooting Suspect Released; 2 Dead, 9 Injured After Campus Shooting
While it's not yet known if there is any meaningful connection between Erickson and Brown University, it has been confirmed that the class he targeted was the Principles of Economics, which is taught by Professor Rachel Friedberg. Friedberg was not present for the study session, but her teaching assistant confirmed that he and several students hid behind a classroom desk in the harrowing moments after the shooting began.
Two students were killed during the rampage, and another nine sustained injuries. Many of the injured remain hospitalized as of Sunday evening.
In a somewhat bizarre twist, one user on X 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 Chanukah.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article identified Erickson as a suspect in the shooting. Law enforcement officials have stated that the person detained is a "person of interest" and not a suspect at this time.)
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