Providence investigators have reached a critical turning point in the five-day search for the gunman responsible for the double homicide at Brown University. Law enforcement sources confirmed Thursday that police have positively identified the suspect and secured an arrest warrant.
The development marks the most significant progress since the attack claimed the lives of first-year students Ella Cook, 19, and Muhammad Aziz Umar Zokov, 18, inside a campus lecture hall.
As the manhunt escalates, authorities are actively investigating a potential link between the Brown University shootings and a separate homicide at MIT. While officials have not yet detailed the nature of the connection, the widening scope of the inquiry suggests the suspect may have been operating across a broader geography than initially assumed.
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Forensic teams have also secured what could be the case’s “smoking gun.”
Paul Morrow, a retired NYPD inspector monitoring the investigation, reported that live, unfired ammunition was recovered at the crime scene. Unlike spent shell casings, which are sterilized by heat, unfired rounds often retain touch DNA from when a magazine is loaded.
This evidence could prove definitive in tying the suspect to the weapon.
Surveillance analysis has further narrowed the timeline. Detectives are currently seeking a specific witness captured on video near the scene. Footage shows this individual—who police emphasize is not a suspect—crossing paths with the gunman before abruptly fleeing. Investigators believe this witness may have recognized the shooter or can offer confirmation of his location moments after the attack.
With a warrant now active, officials are expected to release the suspect’s name and additional details in an upcoming briefing.
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