Trump urges capture of 'animal' gunman in Brown University shooting, says no motive yet

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Trump urges capture of 'animal' gunman in Brown University shooting, says no motive yet

The manhunt for the shooting suspect continues as the FBI assists local authorities

Diana Stancy Fox News

Published

December 15, 2025 4:59pm EST

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Trump claims FBI will capture 'animal' who opened fire at Brown University

President Donald Trump told reporters Dec. 15, 2025, that a motive for the shooter is currently unknown as the gunman remains at large.

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President Donald Trump said no motive has been identified for the suspected gunman who remains at large after opening fire inside a classroom at Brown University in Rhode Island Saturday.

Although police originally detained a man in a Rhode Island hotel in connection with the fatal shooting that took the lives of two students, authorities announced Sunday that they had released the man and the hunt for the suspect resumed Monday.

First responders at the Brown University shooting scene

Ambulances line Hope Street at Brown University in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during reports of a shooting. (Mark Stockwell/AP Photo)

"We're going to see what happens," Trump told reporters Monday. "Hopefully they're going to capture this animal."

When asked why the FBI, who is supporting local law enforcement in Rhode Island with their investigation into the matter, had struggled to identify the shooting suspect, Trump said that doing so is always difficult and that the issue lies with the school.

President Donald Trump speaks at a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 15, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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"This was a school problem. They had their own guards," Trump said. "They had their own police, had their own everything. But you'd have to ask that question really to the school, not to the FBI. We came in after the fact, and the FBI will do a good job, but they came in after the fact."

Memorial for the victims of the Brown University shooting

People hold candles during a vigil, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, R.I., for the victims of Saturday's shooting on the campus of Brown University. (Steven Senne/AP Photo)

Two students died in the shooting, and another nine injured. One of the victims of the shooting was identified as Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama who served as vice president of the Brown University College Republicans, according to authorities.

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The other victim was identified as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, authorities said. According to the New York Times, Umurzokov and his family are naturalized citizens from Uzbekistan now living in Virginia.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

Trump urges capture of 'animal' gunman in Brown University shooting, says no motive yet