The FBI has released new images of a “person of interest” in the mass shooting at Brown University as the manhunt for the gunman stretches on.
The person who shot and killed two students and wounded nine others on Saturday is still at large more than 48 hours after the shooting at the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island.
A 24-year-old Wisconsin man, who had been detained and was believed to be the suspect, was released from custody late Sunday night.
On Monday afternoon, FBI Director Kash Patel posted three new photos on X of a “person of interest” walking near the campus. The person is dressed in dark clothing, wearing a black beanie and a face mask.
While Patel’s post refers to the person as a “person of interest,” the FBI poster identifies him as a “suspect” who is “approximately 5’8” with a stocky build.” The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the shooter.
At a news conference on Monday afternoon, officials showcased the photos alongside new video footage of the suspect walking on a sidewalk before the shooting.
Officials had earlier released a video of the suspect near campus on Saturday, but the footage did not provide a clear view of the suspect. Authorities have said footage from inside the campus building where the shooting took place is unusable.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told reporters that new footage was coming more quickly on Monday. He said, “we’re learning more about his movements as we gather additional video evidence.”
Providence police chief Oscar L. Perez Jr. said that law enforcement is still investigating whether the shooter remains in the Providence community.
The FBI is urging the public to contact them with any information related to the shooting.
Patel and Rhode Island officials have come under scrutiny for their handling of the investigation into the shooting.
Patel, 45, had claimed on X on Sunday that the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team had used “critical geolocation capabilities” to detain a “person of interest” in a hotel room.
The person was later released and cleared in the investigation.
Officials at the press conference on Monday afternoon stressed that law enforcement had been “following up” on other leads while “part of the team” was focused on the initial person of interest.
But for Patel, who has repeatedly come under fire for fumbling several key investigations since taking over leadership of the FBI in February, the hunt for the Brown University shooter has become his latest embarrassing fiasco.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the FBI and the Providence Police Department for comment.
