PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Just a little over one week following the shooting at Brown University that took the lives of two students and injured nine others, the school says it will be conducting an After-Action review of the school’s safety measures, alongside a change in leadership.
An After-Action review is a standard procedure following a mass-casualty event. On Monday, Brown President Christina H. Paxson released a message to the University’s website, stating that while a review is in place, Paxson said that, effective immediately, Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman will be on administrative leave. Filling in as interim Vice President of Public Safety and chief of police is former Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements.
The message outlined three immediate actions that will be put in place:
A Rapid Response Team:
Paxson said that a rapid response team will be issued to prioritize “immediate safety and security measures with a focus on ensuring a secure campus during Brown’s winter break and in advance of its Spring 2026 semester.”
After-Action Review
Paxson added that both external reviews will be governed by a committee of the Corporation of Brown University, which will aid in the selection of the organizations that will conduct the reviews. The results and key outcomes of each review will be shared with the public.
Security Assessment
The University will also conduct a comprehensive assessment on campus safety and school security, reviewing the school’s current safety and security policies, procedures, infrastructure, and training.
An on-site security team will conduct a physical assessment of those which include security assessment of the perimeter of buildings, access points, cameras, and technology, and other infrastructure conditions, and will build on work underway to enhance security immediately.
Read President Paxson’s full statement below.
Dear Brown Community,
As we all continue to process the violent attack against our community last week, we must keep Ella Cook, MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, the nine injured students and their families in our thoughts. I am happy to share that the conditions of the injured victims continue to improve; all but two have been discharged from the hospital.
As we move forward as a community, we know the urgent priority is the safety and security of our campus. For our students, staff, faculty, parents and alumni — I understand the anxiety, fear and stress following the shooting. I understand the gravity of the concerns about safety that follow a tragedy of the magnitude that Brown has suffered. I want to assure you of Brown’s deep commitment to take every possible action to increase the safety and security of our campus, with the goal of protecting our community from future harm. I write today to outline three immediate actions the University is taking, both to learn from Brown’s response to the Dec. 13 shooting and to ensure the ongoing security of our campus.
First, I want to thank the officers and staff in our Public Safety department for the role they played in responding to the shooting and providing aid to our community. The response of Brown’s Public Safety officers to the Dec. 13 shooting has been praised by the other law enforcement agencies that assisted Brown on that terrible day. There is no question about the bravery, dedication and commitment of Brown’s Public Safety officers in their rapid response to the scene of the shooting. Our officers were first on the scene mere minutes after the shooting, and their actions saved lives. These individuals in uniform continue to play an essential role in securing our campus in the actions we are undertaking to protect our community.
Further detail about the following safety and security actions is provided in this letter:
Both of the external reviews will be governed by a committee of the Corporation of Brown University, our community’s highest governing body, which will approve the selection of the external organizations conducting the assessments. These reviews must be both thorough and comprehensive, and the University is committed to sharing key outcomes of both reviews with our community and the public.
A thorough After-Action Review is an essential part of any recovery and response following a mass casualty event like the one that has devastated our campus. A review like this is standard. As it takes place, Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman is on leave, effective immediately. We have engaged Hugh T. Clements, former chief of police of the Providence Police Department, to serve as interim vice president for Public Safety and chief of police while Vice President Chatman is on leave. In his interim role, Interim Vice President Clements will oversee the After-Action Review and assume day-to-day leadership of the department.
Chief Clements is nationally regarded for his expertise in community-oriented policing, having served as director of the federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for the U.S. Department of Justice. He also is a former member of the Brown community after serving as a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs for more than four and a half years from 2018 to 2023. He will report directly to me during his interim leadership of the department. This underscores our commitment to clear accountability, leadership continuity and a sustained focus on campus safety at a time when safety is a critical part of healing and recovery for our community.
<b>Rapid Response and Immediate Security Measures</b>
Ensuring the safety of those on campus during the winter break and in advance of the spring semester is an urgent priority. The campus continues active operations, with students, faculty and staff engaged in work and activities throughout December and January.
Last week we shared enhanced safety measures that include doubling the number of police and security personnel and increased patrols through ongoing interagency cooperation with multiple law enforcement agencies. In addition, we have focused on the rapid implementation of new safety measures, building on safety and security projects the University had launched prior to the Dec. 13 shooting. Many of these enhanced security measures will be in place before the University resumes full operations after winter break on Jan. 6, and others will phase in before the opening of the spring semester.
Enhancements are focused on the following areas:
For Barus & Holley, a dedicated team is considering how operations of that building will be altered, including relocating spring classes and lectures from sensitive areas. We are keenly aware of the impact on returning to that building for students, staff and faculty, and we will communicate a plan in the coming weeks. The School of Engineering and Department of Physics complex — including Barus & Holley, Lassonde Innovation and Design Hub, and the Engineering Research Center — remains fully closed at this time. Those seeking arrangements for urgent or emergency situations pertaining to research activity are being encouraged to be in touch directly with the Division of Research.
As a safety measure for all courses for the Spring 2026 semester and going forward, the Classroom Assignments webpage on the Office of the Registrar’s website now requires Brown credentials. The classroom and exam locations in Courses@Brown will also require Brown credentials for access.
<b>After-Action Review and Comprehensive Campus Safety and Security Assessment</b>
As described above, Brown is launching an After-Action Review and a Comprehensive Safety and Security Assessment. Both will be conducted by external reviewers overseen by the Brown Corporation. The scope of both reviews will be approved by the Corporation in collaboration with the external reviewers selected for this work.
Based on best practices for such reviews, we expect that the After-Action Review will cover the period preceding the shooting on Dec. 13, the shooting incident itself, the Brown University emergency response, subsequent investigation coordination with law enforcement agencies, and any other information relevant to evaluating Brown’s emergency response to the tragedy.
We anticipate the Comprehensive Safety and Security Assessment will review the University’s current safety and security systems and approaches, including policies, procedures, staffing, technology and training. An important part of this work will include engaging the campus and local community in discussion about the safety and security policy and posture for the campus to inform findings and recommendations. The assessment will build upon and incorporate the campus safety action items already underway as part of our immediate and rapid response to ensure the campus is prepared, supported and operationally ready for the start of the spring semester.
<b>In Closing</b>
I have written and spoken to hundreds of students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni since the tragic events of Dec. 13. The concerns our community has about safety and security are real. And I share them. As we work to heal and recover, our primary focus is to nurture a thriving campus by attending to the psychological and social health of all members of our community while we also demonstrate that Brown is still Brown — a safe, inclusive, caring community of talented students and scholars and dedicated staff.
But this work begins with taking all steps to ensure that our campus is a safe place to work, live and learn. We are unwavering in this commitment.
Sincerely,
Christina H. Paxson President
— Brown University
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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