PROVIDENCE, MASS. — It has been one month since two students were killed, and nine others were injured in a mass shooting on Brown University’s campus.
The Mayor of Providence is now seeking a review of the city’s response to the events of December 13.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said in a letter to Clara Decerbo, director of the Providence Emergency Management Agency, that the city will take several steps to help prevent a similar incident in the future.
First, the city will hire a consultant to work with all parties involved in the shooting response and use lessons learned “to work with other major institutions to improve coordination and communication in response to major threats or emergencies,” Smiley wrote.
Smiley also said the city will review its memorandums of understanding with local institutions, including the Providence Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, to improve real-time responses on campuses throughout Providence.
The city will also review its process for statewide mutual aid requests and responses, including possible training for city staff for future events, Smiley said.
In addition, the city will review internal and external public notification procedures and best practices for enhanced alerts and tools beyond those currently available to Providence.
Smiley said the city will work with local unions to ensure appropriate after-action resources were implemented and sufficient for staff. That work includes providing ongoing support, such as training, to help the community monitor ongoing stressors and concerns by facilitating “timely referrals to appropriate services and supports.”
The city will also establish a resiliency center to serve as a midterm or long-term recovery center for those affected by the shooting.
Finally, Smiley said the city will continue to collaborate with partners to complete a security review of all city assets to determine whether additional safety measures are needed.
“The actions outlined above are intended to ensure that we approach this review with rigor, transparency and a clear focus on learning and improvement, while we continue to support the community impacted by this tragic event,” Smiley wrote.
The letter also includes a detailed timeline of events from Dec. 13, the day of the shooting.
According to the timeline, at 4:05 p.m., the Providence Telecommunications Department Police Control Center and the Fire Alarm Bureau of Control received the first calls reporting shots fired. The calls referenced four locations: the Barus & Holley Engineering Building, Manning Walk, 137 Waterman St. and Thayer Street.
Police and fire units arrived within five minutes and found multiple shooting victims by 4:11 p.m. The incident was declared an active shooter situation at 4:15 p.m., and Brown University sent a shelter-in-place notification via text, phone call and email at 4:22 p.m.
All critically injured patients were transported within 13 minutes of responders’ arrival, according to the report. Dispatch took about 80 seconds after the first 911 calls, and first responders arrived on scene in less than 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
“This work is critical to strengthening our preparedness, reinforcing public trust, and ensuring that the city continues to respond swiftly, immediately, and compassionately in moments of crisis throughout our response and recovery.
To read more included in the letter, you can access it here.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
