Reports: Brown University ‘Person of Interest’ Identified and Linked to Separate Murder

CBS News reported that it had received confirmation from unnamed sources that the person of interest in the deadly Brown University shooting has been identified. Unfortunately, neither the news outlet nor the police have released the individual's name to the public. Reports are now also claiming that the shooting is linked to a separate murder.

While CBS declared that the suspect’s identity is known, it did not apparently obtain the name of that suspect from its sources. “Law enforcement has identified a person, and a search for that individual is underway,” the outlet vaguely declared. Many Americans are frustrated at the apparent lack of progress in the investigation, given that two students are dead and nine others were injured.

ABC News added fuel to the speculative fire by asserting today that the Brown University shooting could even be linked to a separate murder of a different university’s professor:

The mass shooting at Brown University and the murder of an MIT professor in Brookline, Massachusetts, may be linked, multiple sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
The information about a possible connection between the two incidents was developed in the last 24 hours as detectives working on both cases compared notes, the sources said.

It is important to note that these are only reports as of yet and not confirmed.

This news comes the day after Providence Police asked for information about an individual identified as being in close proximity to the person of interest. This indicated to many people that police did have an idea who the primary person of interest was, but police did not say either way. Local authorities in Rhode Island have been criticized for not interviewing students who were in the building at the time of the shooting for a description of the murderer.

Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in these photos who was in proximity of the person of interest.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. pic.twitter.com/DJ26rruuc9
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 17, 2025

Students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov were killed in the Saturday shooting. Reports have indicated that Ella was the primary target. Some have questioned how the shooter knew exactly which classroom to go to and at what time, but without any information on the shooter’s identity speculation is fruitless.

Speculation has, however, been running rampant across the Internet in spite of — or rather because of — the few details, as the manhunt is on its sixth day without any clear information released on the gunman. Some have pointed to the fact that Brown University wiped pages related to “Palestinian refugee” student Mustapha Kharbouch, but there is no clear evidence as to whether he was either the shooter or the second person of interest.

More details are expected to emerge either later today or tomorrow. Authorities have not confirmed the reports from CBS or from ABC.

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