Survivor’s Anguish: Parkland Victim Endures Second Campus Shooting at Brown University
A sophomore at Brown University, who previously survived the devastating school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has expressed profound anger and distress after enduring yet another mass shooting incident on her university campus. The traumatic experience has plunged her back into the fear and shock she felt in 2018.
Zoe Weissman, 20, recounted the chilling moment a friend alerted her to a “shelter in place” order around 4:15 PM. Her immediate reaction was one of déjà vu, a terrifying regression to the feelings she experienced during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
“I think mentally, you know, I feel like I’m 12 again,” Weissman shared during an interview. “This just feels exactly like how I felt in 2018. But honestly, I’m really angry. I’m really angry that this is happening to me all over again, and I’m just in shock.”
Weissman highlighted the recurring nature of such tragedies, noting that there are already students who survived shootings at Oxford High School in Michigan and then attended Michigan State University, only to experience another shooting there. She voiced her concern that this pattern will continue, leading to a growing number of individuals who have survived multiple school shootings.
“This isn’t a new phenomenon, and we’re going to get to a point where there’s people like myself who survived two of these,” she stated.
Weissman emphasized that until US lawmakers enact meaningful action, no one is truly safe from gun violence. She believes her experience is crucial in demonstrating that the threat of shootings is pervasive and affects individuals from all backgrounds.
“I think that my experience is so important because it shows that no one is safe from this until our congresspeople actually decide to do something and care about children, care about their constituents, care about people in this country, this will continue to happen, and there will be more people like me who have survived several school shootings,” she asserted.
The Incident at Brown University
On Saturday, a shooter, reportedly dressed in black, opened fire on the Ivy League campus, resulting in at least two fatalities and nine injuries. The attack occurred during final exams, adding to the sense of disruption and fear.
Law enforcement agencies launched an extensive manhunt, meticulously searching campus buildings and surrounding areas for the suspect for over three hours after the shooting began. Police described the suspect as a male in dark clothing, last seen leaving an engineering building where the incident took place.
Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that a shelter-in-place order was issued for the affected area, urging residents and students to remain indoors until the alert was lifted. He assured the public that all available resources were being deployed to apprehend the suspect.
The location of the shooting is situated at the edge of the Brown University campus, adjacent to a residential neighborhood.
Medical Response and Conflicting Information
Rhode Island Hospital received eight individuals with gunshot wounds. According to hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan, six of these patients were in critical but stable condition, while another was in critical condition and one was stable.
Initial alerts disseminated through Brown’s emergency notification system informed students and staff that a suspect was in custody. However, this information was later revised, stating that police were still actively searching for one or more suspects. The mayor also mentioned that an individual initially believed to be involved had been detained but was subsequently cleared of any connection to the incident.
Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, whose district encompasses the Brown campus, described the situation as heartbreaking and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. He urged those in the vicinity to secure their doors and remain vigilant.
The Epicenter of the Attack
The shooting took place in the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex housing the School of Engineering and the physics department. The university’s website indicates that this building contains over 100 laboratories, numerous classrooms, and offices. Engineering design examinations were in progress at the time of the shooting.
Student Accounts of Fear and Shock
Alex Bruce, a senior biochemistry student at Brown, was working on a research project in his dorm, directly across from the engineering building, when he heard sirens and received an active shooter alert. He described being in a state of shock and watching armed officers in tactical gear surround his dormitory. He also expressed concern for a friend he believed to be inside the engineering building at the time of the incident.
Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering located about a block away from the scene, recounted how students in a nearby lab hid under desks and turned off lights after receiving the alert.
Mari Camara, a 20-year-old junior from New York City, was leaving the library when she rushed into a taqueria for shelter. She spent over three hours inside, communicating with friends via text while police conducted their search. “Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.
National Reactions and University Profile
President Donald Trump stated he had been briefed on the shooting and offered prayers for the victims. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed its assistance in the ongoing response efforts.
Brown University is recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions, with approximately 7,300 undergraduate students and over 3,000 graduate students. The annual cost of tuition, housing, and other fees at the university approaches $100,000.