Benjamin Erickson, born on
August 10, 2001, from Wisconsin, has been identified by law enforcement sources as the person of interest in the December 14, 2025, mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He is currently in custody. Incident Details
- Shooting: The shooting occurred on Saturday, December 13, 2025, in a classroom of the Barus and Holley engineering and physics building during a final exam review session. Two people were killed and nine others were injured.
- Apprehension: Law enforcement tracked Erickson, 24, to a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, where he was detained early Sunday morning. Authorities seized a revolver and a Glock handgun with a laser sight from his hotel room.
- Motive: The motive for the shooting and any potential connection Erickson had to Brown University are currently under investigation.
- Charges: As of current reports, Erickson has not been formally charged.
Background Information
Public records and a LinkedIn profile matching his name provide the following details:
- Hometown: Erickson is originally from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and was living in Washington, D.C., as of 2024.
- Education: He is a graduate of the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in Information Systems and Finance.
- Military Service: He served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from May 2021 to November 2024, achieving the rank of specialist, and had no deployments. His LinkedIn profile identified him as a newly commissioned U.S. Army Cyber Warfare Officer.
- Prior Record: Initial public records searches do not indicate a previous criminal record.
- Mental Health: Law enforcement officials are looking into a potentially extensive mental health history.
