Executive Summary
- Mayor Brett Smiley is managing the city response to the December 13 shooting at Brown University.
- The suspect involved in the mass shooting remains at large as of Tuesday.
- Smiley likened the operational exhaustion to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley is navigating a period of intense scrutiny and operational complexity following the December 13 mass shooting at Brown University, even as the suspect remains at large as of Tuesday.
According to comments made from City Hall, Mayor Smiley described the current administrative atmosphere as “busier than COVID,” drawing a parallel to the frantic early days of the pandemic when he served as a top state official. The Mayor noted that in his two decades in Rhode Island politics, he has not encountered the level of anxiety and exhaustion currently affecting the administration as they manage the crisis.
Public Safety Impact
The fact that the suspect remains at large days after the event significantly heightens the public safety risk and complicates the administrative response for Providence officials. Local authorities must simultaneously coordinate a manhunt while addressing the trauma impacting the university community and the wider city. It is important to note that any individuals apprehended in connection with this investigation are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
