The community surrounding Brown University awoke to light, fluffy covering of snow Sunday, and a heavy blanket of grief and shock.
After 2 people were killed and 9 others injured in a shooting in an academic building Saturday afternoon, students and the surrounding community reflected on the tragedy in their midst and how their views of a vibrant, cozy university neighborhood suddenly changed.
Hailey Chen, a second-year medical student, was studying with friends inside Barus & Holley Hall when the sound of gunshots rang through the building. As Ocean State Media first reported Saturday night, the shooting apparently took place in a study session for an introductory economics class meeting in a large lecture hall in the building.
“It hits so close to home,” Chen said.“I’ve heard it was in the Principles of Economics class. I’ve taken that. I was interested in TA-ing that. That could have been me and my friends.”
She wound up, like so many students, trapped in protective lockdown into the wee hours of Sunday morning.
“I am so glad that the semester has come to a close and I’m about to spend a few months away from campus,” she said. “ It’s a shame because I really love Brown and I do. And it’s such a special place with so many special people and . . . I don’t want to go back into that building. I cannot imagine going back into that building without thinking about the horrible tragedy and the lives that were lost.”
Nicole Burns, also a medical student, said she grew up in an era where “active shooter” trainings are common in schools.
“I’ve been doing these shelter-in-place drills since middle school,” she said. “A lot of students have grown up with this being kind of just a thing that happens and it felt so different for it to actually be that close and to have people die. It felt really, really different . . . I just don’t think I’ve ever been that afraid.”
She said she is grateful for how the Brown community is trying to rally together. “Everyone is very traumatized and really showing up for each other,” she said. “But I don’t think people are going to want to go to campus, honestly, for a while. It just doesn’t feel the same.”
24-year-old post-graduate student Anh Nguyen said he’s been down this tragic road before.
“Unfortunately, this is the second school shooting that I’ve been to,” he said. “My last one (at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill) was my undergrad, and I feel like something this unimaginable is happening way too often.”
The Brown campus is wrapped around a very active neighborhood, and the impact of the shooting reverberated far beyond the academic halls.
Sheila Craig, a college hill resident, says she was shaken by the weekend’s shooting. Justin Kenny/Ocean State Media
“I’m pretty shook up. We all are. We’re all heartbroken,” said Sheila Craig, who lives in the neighborhood. “I’ve talked to so many people who said they felt like for some reason we were immune here. Obviously, that’s not the case.”
Priscilla McPhillips is the manager of Spectrum-India, a spiritual and wellness shop that has long been a fixture on Thayer Street, the main commercial thoroughfare that runs through campus. “Usually the biggest thing you have to worry about on Thayer Street is, like, if you’re going to find a parking spot or if you’re going to get a ticket,” she said. “And now it’s just, like, people are worrying about their safety.”
On Sunday evening, a city event in a nearby park that was supposed to be a Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah lighting was instead converted to “an opportunity for us to come together and support one another as we reflect, mourn, and hold each other close as family, friends, and neighbors.” The Providence City Council’s social media post announcing the change, signed by Councilor Sue AnderBois, said, “We will not let this horrific act weaken the bonds that make Providence such a strong and special place to call home.”
But even that announcement included this somber caveat: “Security measures will be in place to ensure a safe space for all attendees.”
This story was reported by David Wright, Justin Kenny, Paul C. Kelly-Campos and Paul Singer.