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.
Crime
16-year-old Khyon Smith-Tate found shot to death inside Chipotle bathroom on edge of Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said, as students and staff returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. inside the Chipotle located in the 1100 block of West Montgomery Avenue, on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartment complex. The building is situated near Temple University’s Student Center and TECH Center.
Police later identified the victim as Khyon Smith-Tate, a North Philadelphia resident. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement following the incident:
“The loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones.”
According to investigators, Smith-Tate and another minor entered the restaurant and requested access to the restroom. Chief Inspector Small said the shooting is believed to have occurred inside the bathroom.
Moments later, employees discovered Smith-Tate suffering from a gunshot wound. Police recovered one spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon inside the restroom.
Although the victim’s last known address was approximately eight blocks from the scene, authorities have not indicated what brought him to the location or what led to the shooting.
At the time of the incident, the restaurant was crowded, and multiple individuals inside the business were detained briefly for questioning. However, police said they have not yet obtained any statements from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot.
A person of interest was taken into custody several blocks from the scene shortly after the shooting, but Chief Inspector Small said that individual’s involvement remains unclear.
As of Tuesday, police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been established.
Investigators believe Smith-Tate entered the restroom with another minor, though the whereabouts of that individual remain unknown.
Police are also seeking information about three possible suspects, described as teenagers carrying backpacks.
Chief Inspector Small noted that the area is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, which detectives are reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.