Crime
FBI released Benjamin Erickson from custody
UPDATE: Providence, Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley says law enforcement will release the person of interest in Brown University mass shooting, who was detained earlier Sunday morning. The gunman remains at large.
Benjamin Warren Erickson, the individual previously detained as a person of interest in the deadly shooting at Brown University, has been released by law enforcement, according to city and state officials.
Authorities emphasized that Erickson is not involved in the attack and that the investigation has shifted in a different direction.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed the release, while Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha explained that investigators initially followed leads that appeared to point to Erickson but later determined those leads were incorrect.
“Sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another,” Neronha said. He added that the evidence now points elsewhere, and acknowledged the harm caused by the premature public identification of Erickson.
“It was really unfortunate that this person’s name was leaked to the public. It’s hard to put that back into the bottle,” the attorney general said.
Officials reiterated that the gunman remains at large, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Emergency law enforcement units are currently on the scene of an ongoing standoff involving a barricaded suspect and a reported hostage situation in North Charleston.
According to initial dispatch reports on Sunday, October 25, 2026, police responded to a residence located in the 5300 block of Charter Drive following reports of a violent incident.
First responders located one victim suffering from a stabbing. That individual was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Preliminary reports indicate that a suspect subsequently barricaded themselves inside the home and is reportedly holding one person hostage.
Law enforcement officers remain actively deployed in the area managing the standoff. A public advisory has been issued urging residents and drivers to avoid Charter Drive and follow all instructions provided by officers on the scene.
Official statements and further details from local police have not yet been released as the situation remains active and fluid.
This is a developing report and will be updated as confirmed information becomes available.