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Look, folks, in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Providence officials finally had some good news after that horrific shooting at Brown University the day before.
"Effective immediately, we are lifting the shelter in place for Brown and the related area."Mayor Brett Smiley, trying to sound reassuring at an early presser, announced they'd detained a "person of interest" in the attack that turned an economics exam review session into a nightmare.
"We are able to report that we have detained a person of interest involved in yesterday’s shooting," Smiley said. "Colonel Perez will speak in a minute about that update. Second, I want to let the Providence community know that effective immediately, we are lifting the shelter in place for Brown and the related area."
"The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning," he added, because nothing says "relax" like a masked gunman bursting into a classroom and opening fire. Police Chief Colonel Oscar Perez chimed in, confirming the detainee is in their 30s (or 20s—details are a bit fuzzy there), and they're not hunting anyone else right now. Sparse on specifics, as usual.
The whole mess went down during a review for an econ class, with the shooter storming in and unloading.
But the real head-scratcher was Brown President Christina Paxson catching flak on Saturday for being completely in the dark, six full hours after the shots rang out, about what exactly was happening in that classroom.
Paxson admitted she'd been in D.C. when it happened and hopped a flight back ASAP. "I'm just catching up," she said.
Then came the grilling: "President, with all due respect, SIX HOURS after the shooting, you don't know what was going on in that classroom? How does that happen? Were they taking an exam? Were they meeting for a club?"
"I don’t know,” Paxson replied, looking bewitched, bothered and bewildered. "Six hours later. You're the president. You don't know?" the reporter pressed, incredulous. "I do not know," Paxson repeated.
"That’s kind of concerning," the reporter noted.
No kidding. In the age of instant everything, the head of an elite Ivy can't get a basic update on a mass shooting on her own campus for half a day? That's the kind of leadership that makes you wonder if they're too busy with DEI seminars to handle actual crises.
If you like Brain Flushings and want to Buy Me a Coffee, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work. Obviously, there is no pressure but I certainly wouldn't stop you. Imagine, you could be the first on your block to do that and your friends will thank you . . . for some reason.
In the aftermath, Brown scrapped all final exams, poof, gone. Students were told to pack up, head home, and prioritize "safety and well-being." "For the moment, we encourage everyone to focus on their own safety and well-being," the provost said.
Hey, at least the kids get a pass on finals. Silver lining in a tragedy, I suppose. But seriously, prayers for the victims and their families, this shouldn't happen anywhere, let alone on a college campus.
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