As Brown University shooting manhunt continues, FBI offers reward for info leading to conviction

As Brown University shooting manhunt continues, FBI offers reward for info leading to conviction
As Brown University shooting manhunt continues, FBI offers reward for info leading to conviction
Image of the person described as an unknown suspect in the Brown University Shooting. (FBI)

(NEW YORK) — The FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the alleged gunman in Saturday’s fatal mass shooting at Brown University, as members of the bureau’s Boston Division aided the Providence Police Department in their search for the assailant.

The FBI released a poster with three images of a person whom they’re seeking, calling them an “unknown suspect” and including a short description: “The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’8″ with a stocky build.”

“We sent additional resources and personnel earlier today to help track down leads, canvass neighborhoods, and develop intelligence,” FBI Director Kash Patel said late Monday on social media. “Our Evidence Response Team remains on campus processing the scene, and our Lab at Quantico is assisting as well.”

The reward for information came as newly released security video showed what local and federal law enforcement said was a person of interest wanted for questioning in connection with the deadly mass shooting.

Police in Providence said two students were killed and nine other people were injured in the shooting in a classroom setting on College Hill, the area on Providence’s East Side where historic homes intermingle with redbrick and modern campus buildings.

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson on Sunday said the shooting amounted to “devastating gun violence.”

The university on Monday evening said the Providence police were seeking interviews with everyone who had been in the Barus & Holley building — the physics and engineering center where the shooting took place — on either Friday or Saturday.

“Even an incidental detail may be helpful in investigating,” the school said in an update.

State officials shared overnight the FBI’s poster seeking information.

Gov. Dan McKee said he had directed the Rhode Island State Police, which is assisting in the investigation, to “continue to provide all necessary investigative and patrol support to the city and the campus.”

“Like so many of us who have been impacted by the tragedy at Brown University this weekend, I am anxious to have the shooter identified, apprehended, and brought to justice,” McKee said in a statement announcing the reward early Tuesday.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police

New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police
New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police
A bouquet is left outside of the engineering and physics building at Brown University, the site of a mass shooting yesterday that left at least two people dead and nine others injured, on December 14, 2025, in Providence, Rhode Island. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — New security video released on Monday by the Rhode Island police showed a person of interest wanted for questioning in the deadly mass shooting that erupted over the weekend on the campus of Brown University.

The video was taken shortly after Saturday’s shooting and shows a figure dressed in black walking along Waterman Street, which appears to be about three blocks north of the Brown campus, according to the Providence Police Department.

“We are sharing a video of a person of interest and plan to release additional video as part of the ongoing investigation,” the police department said in a statement, asking anyone who recognizes the individual in the video to contact investigators immediately.

The new video was made public after authorities announced that a person of interest detained early Sunday morning for questioning had been released.

In an interview on ABC News’ “GMA3” on Monday, Rhode Island State Attorney General Peter Neronha said the person initially detained in connection with the mass shooting has been “effectively cleared.”

“The evidence that we have, the scientific evidence that we have available to us, after it was analyzed, made clear that this was not someone who should be detained in connection with this case,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said on ABC News’ “GMA3.” “So we released him and then moved on, looking at other evidence and pursuing other leads pointing at additional potential individuals.”

Investigators are now bringing additional teams to canvass for video, analyze images, and sweep the crime scene for fingerprints as they work to build a more detailed timeline and, potentially, identify a suspect.

ABC News observed members of the FBI evidence response unit using a K-9 on Monday to canvas the area around the crime scene at Brown University. FBI agents were also viewed on campus searching bushes and raking the snow-covered ground for evidence.

“We understand that there’s a high degree of anxiety and after this individual was released last night, I understand that anxiety level has risen in our community,” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told ABC News on Monday. “But it’s no different than a day ago, which is that we’ve received — continue to receive zero credible threats to our community, Brown or the broader community.”

Smiley’s comments came as federal and local law enforcement officials were continuing their investigation early on Monday, two days after the mass shooting in an academic building in Providence on Saturday.

A person of interest in the case, who had been taken into custody early on Sunday, was released later in the day, after authorities said that there was no basis to continue detaining them.

“Tonight, we announced that the person of interest is being released. The investigation has been ongoing and remains fully active between all agencies,” the Providence Police Department said in a statement early on Monday. “Since the first call to 911, we have not received any specific threats to our community.”

Smiley wouldn’t on Monday definitely say whether the person of interest who was released was cleared of all connection to the case. He also declined to say whether the investigation was pointing toward a student or someone from off-campus.

“We cannot comment on that and we’re exploring all possible leads,” he said.

Two people were killed and nine were injured in the shooting, according to officials. The injured victims were transported to local hospitals amid a day of “devastating gun violence,” Christina H. Paxson, the university’s president, said in a statement posted early on Sunday.

“Every year, emergency responders and students drill for the unthinkable — a shooting at our schools,” Gov. Dan McKee said in his own statement. “Yesterday, that action became all too real when a gunman opened fire on a classroom of innocent Brown University students.”

The FBI and other law enforcement officials shared a short video clip of someone whom they described as a person of interest. The individual in the clip is seen dressed in dark clothing, including what appeared to be a hood, as they walk along Hope Street and take a corner heading north.

The person’s right hand appeared to be in their jacket pocket as they walked northward along Waterman Street before exiting from the frame.

Officials said they still believe the person seen in that video is a person of interest in the shooting.

The person of interest who was detained and released on Sunday was initially caught at about 3:45 a.m. at a hotel in Coventry, about 28 miles south of Providence, according to law enforcement sources and Coventry police.

Law enforcement sources described the detained person of interest as a man in his mid-20s from Wisconsin. At the time the person was detained, the individual was allegedly in possession of two guns, according to sources.

There was “no basis” to keep the person detained, Attorney General of Rhode Island Peter Neronha said.

“Sometimes you head in one direction and have to regroup and go in another,” Neronha said. “That’s exactly what’s happened over the last 24 hours or so.”

Police said anyone with information about the case can contact investigators through an online Tip Center at www.fbi.gov/brownuniversityshooting or by calling (401) 272-3121.

ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik, Luke Barr and Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

FBI disrupted alleged terrorist bombing plot in Los Angeles, according to officials

FBI disrupted alleged terrorist bombing plot in Los Angeles, according to officials
FBI disrupted alleged terrorist bombing plot in Los Angeles, according to officials

(LOS ANGELES) — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday that the FBI disrupted a “massive and horrific terror plot” by an anti-government extremist group allegedly planning a series of bombings against multiple targets in Orange County and Los Angeles, California, beginning on New Years Eve.

Bondi said the plot by the so-called “Turtle Island Liberation Front,” which she described in the announcement as a “far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government and anti-capitalist group,” also “planned to target ICE agents and vehicles.”

At a Los Angeles press conference Monday morning, Bill Essayli, assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, and Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said that four people — identified as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, Zachary Aaron Page, 32, Dante Gaffield, 24, and Tina Lai, 41 — were arrested and each charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device.

The FBI on Friday “intercepted a scheme by members of a violent extremist group we believe determined to detonate explosives at multiple businesses on New Year’s Eve,” according to Davis.

The four people arrested, whom Davis said were “members of a radical faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a violent homegrown anti-government group,” allegedly planned to plant backpacks containing improvised explosive devices “to be detonated at multiple locations in Southern California targeting U.S. companies.”

The IEDs were coordinated to detonate at midnight on New Year’s Eve, Davis said, adding that the suspects were arrested Friday by the FBI while they were allegedly assembling the devices in the desert.

All four will appear in federal court Monday afternoon, according to officials.

Though he declined to name the companies that were allegedly targeted, Essayli described them as “logistics centers.” He added that there were “at least five” locations that the suspects allegedly planned to target in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

FBI Director Kash Patel also posted Monday that a fifth person “believed to be linked” to the Turtle Island Liberation Front had been arrested by the FBI in New Orleans for “allegedly planning a separate violent attack.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Anxiety level ‘has risen’ amid manhunt in Brown mass shooting, mayor says

New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police
New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police
A bouquet is left outside of the engineering and physics building at Brown University, the site of a mass shooting yesterday that left at least two people dead and nine others injured, on December 14, 2025, in Providence, Rhode Island. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The anxiety level among Rhode Islanders “has risen” since a person of interest was released from custody amid a manhunt for an assailant who fatally shot two Brown University students on Saturday, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

As the investigation to identify a suspect stretched into its third day, the person initially detained in connection with the Brown University mass shooting has been “effectively cleared,” the Rhode Island state attorney general told ABC News on Monday.

“The evidence that we have, the scientific evidence that we have available to us, after it was analyzed, made clear that this was not someone who should be detained in connection with this case,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said on ABC News’ “GMA3.” “So we released him and then moved on, looking at other evidence and pursuing other leads pointing at additional potential individuals.”

Investigators are now bringing additional teams to canvass for video, analyze images, and sweep the crime scene for fingerprints as they work to build a more detailed timeline and, potentially, identify a suspect.

ABC News observed members of the FBI evidence response unit using a K-9 on Monday to canvas the area around the crime scene at Brown University.

“We understand that there’s a high degree of anxiety and after this individual was released last night, I understand that anxiety level has risen in our community,” Smiley told ABC News on Monday. “But it’s no different than a day ago, which is that we’ve received — continue to receive zero credible threats to our community, Brown or the broader community.”

Smiley’s comments came as federal and local law enforcement officials were continuing their investigation early on Monday, two days after the mass shooting in an academic building in Providence on Saturday.

A person of interest in the case, who had been taken into custody early on Sunday, was released later in the day, after authorities said that there was no basis to continue detaining them.

“Tonight, we announced that the person of interest is being released. The investigation has been ongoing and remains fully active between all agencies,” the Providence Police Department said in a statement early on Monday. “Since the first call to 911, we have not received any specific threats to our community.”

Smiley wouldn’t on Monday definitely say whether the person of interest who was released was cleared of all connection to the case. He also declined to say whether the investigation was pointing toward a student or someone from off-campus.

“We cannot comment on that and we’re exploring all possible leads,” he said.

Two people were killed and nine were injured in the shooting, according to officials. The injured victims were transported to local hospitals amid a day of “devastating gun violence,” Christina H. Paxson, the university’s president, said in a statement posted early on Sunday.

“Every year, emergency responders and students drill for the unthinkable — a shooting at our schools,” Gov. Dan McKee said in his own statement. “Yesterday, that action became all too real when a gunman opened fire on a classroom of innocent Brown University students.”

The FBI and other law enforcement officials shared a short video clip of someone whom they described as a person of interest. The individual in the clip is seen dressed in dark clothing, including what appeared to be a hood, as they walk along Hope Street and take a corner heading north.

The person’s right hand appeared to be in their jacket pocket as they walked northward along Waterman Street before exiting from the frame.

Officials said they still believe the person seen in that video is a person of interest in the shooting.

The person of interest who was detained and released on Sunday was initially caught at about 3:45 a.m. at a hotel in Coventry, about 28 miles south of Providence, according to law enforcement sources and Coventry police.

Law enforcement sources described the detained person of interest as a man in his mid-20s from Wisconsin. At the time the person was detained, the individual was allegedly in possession of two guns, according to sources.

There was “no basis” to keep the person detained, Attorney General of Rhode Island Peter Neronha said.

“Sometimes you head in one direction and have to regroup and go in another,” Neronha said. “That’s exactly what’s happened over the last 24 hours or so.”

ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik, Aaron Katersky, Luke Barr, Pierre Thomas and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Brian Walshe murder trial: Jury finds husband guilty of killing and dismembering wife

Brian Walshe murder trial: Jury finds husband guilty of killing and dismembering wife
Brian Walshe murder trial: Jury finds husband guilty of killing and dismembering wife
Brian Walshe during the murder trial of Ana Walshe on December 9, 2025. Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

(DEDHAM, Mass.) — Brian Walshe, a Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, the mother of their three children, has been found guilty of first-degree murder.

His wife, Ana Walshe, went missing on Jan. 1, 2023, at the age of 39. Brian Walshe pleaded guilty last month, ahead of the trial, to lying to police following her disappearance and improperly disposing of her body, though he denies he killed his wife and has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Ana Walshe’s body has not been found.

After deliberating for nearly four hours following closing arguments on Friday without reaching a verdict, jurors resumed deliberations Monday morning for another two hours.

Judge Diane Freniere informed the jury on Friday they could choose to convict on second-degree murder or the first-degree murder charge the prosecution has argued for, which includes the element of premeditation.

During opening statements in the Dedham trial, defense attorneys said Brian Walshe did not kill his wife but found her dead in bed on New Year’s Day in 2023 — calling her death sudden and unexplained — and then panicked and lied to police as they investigated her disappearance.

Prosecutors alleged Brian Walshe premeditatedly murdered and dismembered his wife, then disposed of her remains in dumpsters. The internet history on his devices on Jan. 1, 2023, included searches such as “best way to dispose of a body,” “how long for someone to be missing to inherit,” and “best way to dispose of body parts after a murder,” prosecutors said.

Defense attorney Larry Tipton argued during closing arguments the Commonwealth hadn’t proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Brian Walshe — whom he described as a “loving father and loving husband” — killed his wife or there was any motive to do so.

Tipton conceded there’s evidence Brian Walshe lied and disposed of a body, but argued there was nothing proving he planned to harm his wife. He claimed the internet search on murder came six hours after his wife died and “upsetting” searches about dismemberment and “cleaning up” do not point to a plan but rather his “disbelief.”

Commonwealth prosecutor Anne Yas, meanwhile, argued during closing arguments that Ana Walshe didn’t die of natural causes — but instead Brian Walshe killed her and then disposed of her body to hide the evidence in a “methodical” plan.

“The defendant did not want anyone to find Ana’s body and to know how she died, so the defendant bought cutting tools at Lowe’s and Home Depot and he cut up Ana’s body — the woman that he claimed to love — and he threw her into dumpsters,” she said.

Yas said their marriage was in “crisis,” and they had been having arguments about Ana Walshe being away from the family due to her job in Washington, D.C. She also claimed Brian Walshe knew his wife was having an affair, which the defense has denied.

The defense rested on Thursday without calling any witnesses. Freniere noted in court on Thursday that it appeared Brian Walshe would testify in his defense, based on the defense’s opening statement. Though he ultimately waived his right.

Evidence presented during the two-week trial included surveillance footage of a man believed to be Brian Walshe buying tools and other supplies at a Lowe’s on Jan. 1, 2023. A receipt showed that items, including a hacksaw, utility knife, hammer, snips, Tyvek suit, shoeguards, rags and cleaning supplies, totaling $462 were purchased with cash.

Additional surveillance footage presented in court showed someone throwing out trash bags at dumpsters on multiple days in early January 2023.

Several blood-stained items recovered from dumpsters by investigators — including a hacksaw, a piece of rug, a towel and hairs — and an unknown tissue were linked to Ana Walshe through DNA testing, a forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory testified during the trial.

Blood was also found in the basement of the family’s rental home in Cohasset, another forensic scientist with the crime lab testified.

Ana Walshe was reported missing by her employer on Jan. 4, 2023. Brian Walshe told police at the time that she had a “work emergency” at her job in D.C. and left their Cohasset home on New Year’s Day, according to audio of his interview played in court.

At the time, Brian Walshe and their three children were living in Massachusetts while he was awaiting sentencing in a federal fraud case after pleading guilty to a scheme to sell counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings.

Jurors heard testimony, including from a D.C. man with whom Ana Walshe was having an affair, that the mother of three was upset about being away from her young children so much — who were 2, 4 and 6 at the time — and there was stress in the marriage. The defense maintained the couple were happy.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Director Rob Reiner and wife Michele stabbed to death in home, son in custody

Director Rob Reiner and wife Michele stabbed to death in home, son in custody
Director Rob Reiner and wife Michele stabbed to death in home, son in custody
Rob Reiner speaks onstage at the screening of ‘Misery’ during the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 25, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for TCM)

(LOS ANGELES) — Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, according to a statement from their family.

Senior law enforcement sources told ABC News the victims were stabbed to death in their Brentwood-area residence.

Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, was taken into custody on Sunday night on unspecified charges and is being held on $4 million bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time,” the Reiner family said.

Officials said during a press conference Sunday night that they have not identified a suspect and nobody is currently in custody.

“This is a devastating loss for our city and our country,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice.”

Rob Reiner — a famed director, producer and actor — is known for massive Hollywood hits, including “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Stand By Me,” “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men” and many more.

Officers were called to the home at 3:40 p.m. PT, the LAPD said in a statement, calling the investigation an apparent homicide.

A man and woman were found deceased inside the home, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to ABC News earlier on Sunday. Their ages were reported as 78 and 68 years old. 

The senior leadership of the LAPD’s robbery and homicide unit responded to the scene.

A neighbor told ABC News that actors Billy Crystal and Larry David were seen at the house after police had arrived.

“Billy looked like he was about to cry,” the neighbor said.

There are two houses that the Reiner family owns across the street from each other. Rob and his wife lived in one and a daughter with kids lived in another, according to the neighbor.

“They’re a big presence on the block. They’re always having parties,” she said.

Rob Reiner and Singer married in 1989 and share three children, Jake, Nick and Romy.

Rob Reiner was previously married to Penny Marshall, who died in 2018.

Rob Reiner — the son of comedian Carl Reiner and actress and singer Estelle Lebost — first became famous on the Norman Lear television sitcom “All in the Family.”

He played the role of Meathead, Archie Bunker’s son-in-law, from 1971 to 1978.

“The Lear Family is devastated by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner,” the family said in a statement on Sunday night. “Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world.”

“Lyn Lear had remained very close with them and said, ‘The world is unmistakably darker tonight, and we are left bereft,'” the statement added.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Reiner’s death, saying he is “heartbroken by the tragic loss.”

“His boundless empathy made his stories timeless, teaching generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others – and encouraging us to dream bigger,” Newsom said in a statement. “Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.1 billion just 10 days before Christmas

Powerball jackpot climbs to .1 billion just 10 days before Christmas
Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.1 billion just 10 days before Christmas
Person holding Powerball ticket ((Photo by John Carl D’Annibale/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A $1.1 billion Powerball jackpot could provide someone with plenty of spending money just 10 days before Christmas.

The total would be the sixth-largest jackpot in the game’s history, and the 12th-largest in U.S. lotto history including Mega Millions. The drawing will be just before 11 p.m. ET on Monday.

While the annual payment is worth $1.1 billion, the lump sum payment would be $503.4 million — both before taxes.

The numbers drawn on Saturday, when the jackpot had crossed $1 billion, were: 1, 28, 31, 57 and 58 with a Powerball of 16.

While no one won the big prize, two winners in Pennsylvania and North Carolina took home $2 million each, and five winners cashed in their tickets for $1 million each.

But if you’re counting on the money for a little holiday pocket change, you might want a backup plan. The odds of winning the jackpot are just 1 in 292.2 million.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘A bright light’: Brown University student identified as shooting victim by church

‘A bright light’: Brown University student identified as shooting victim by church
‘A bright light’: Brown University student identified as shooting victim by church
One of the victims killed in Saturday’s shooting at Brown University has been identified by her church as Ella Cook. (Cathedral Church of the Advent)

(NEW YORK) — One of the victims killed in Saturday’s shooting at Brown University has been identified as Ella Cook, a Brown student and a parishioner at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama.

The church’s Rev. Craig Smalley announced Cook’s death in his service on Sunday morning, calling Cook “incredibly grounded and generous and faithful” and a “bright light” in the church and in her community.

“Many of you heard about the tragedy, which happened at Brown University. … And sadly, tragically, one of those people is one of our parishioners,” Smalley said during the service.

“She was engaged and involved in our worship and in our community, and as she served here at the church and in the wider community, in all sincerity, just a tremendous and bright light in there at Brown University as well, in the time that she was there, was such a light and such a witness,” Smalley added.

Cook was one of two people killed in the deadly shooting at the Ivy League school on Saturday afternoon in a building on campus where exams were taking place, according to university officials.

Nine others were injured in the brazen attack, officials said.

And for those of you who knew her, who know her, she was a just incredibly grounded and generous and faithful and bright light, both here at the Advent, over many years, as she was engaged and involved in our worship and in our community, and as she served here at the church and in the wider community, in all sincerity, just a tremendous, a tremendous and bright light in there at Brown University as well, in the time that she was there was such a light and such a witness.”

The tragedy began unfolding around 4:05 p.m. when police received a call from Brown University about an active shooter incident near the engineering building. The university alerted students and faculty to shelter in place shortly after.

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson released a letter after the shooting, saying, “This is a deeply tragic day for Brown, our families and our local community.”

“There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building.”

According to police, the gunman fled the campus. A person of interest was detained and then released by police on Sunday.

No charges have been filed yet in the case and police have not commented on a possible motive.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Federal trial to begin for Milwaukee judge accused of helping undocumented man evade arrest

Federal trial to begin for Milwaukee judge accused of helping undocumented man evade arrest
Federal trial to begin for Milwaukee judge accused of helping undocumented man evade arrest
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan walks into the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse on May 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The federal trial is set to start on Monday for a Wisconsin judge accused of concealing an undocumented man to prevent his arrest by immigration authorities.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was charged in a two-count federal indictment that alleges she obstructed official Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings and knowingly concealed the man from immigration authorities at a courthouse in April.

She has pleaded not guilty.

Opening statements are expected to get underway on Monday in the Milwaukee trial, following jury selection last week.

Prosecutors have told the court they expect to have 25 to 28 witnesses.

Dugan could face up to six years in prison if convicted as charged.

According to federal prosecutors, Dugan encountered federal agents who were at the Milwaukee County Circuit Court on April 18 to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was appearing in her courtroom on a battery charge.

Prosecutors say that after speaking to the agents, Dugan directed them to the chief judge’s office down the hall and then sent Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a non-public door in an alleged attempt, authorities claim, to help him evade arrest on immigration violations.

Dugan’s lawyers have called her arrest “virtually unprecedented” and sought to dismiss the case, arguing she has judicial immunity for official acts and her prosecution is unconstitutional. Judge Lynn Adelman denied the motion, finding there was “no basis for granting immunity simply because some of the allegations in the indictment describe conduct that could be considered ‘part of a judge’s job.'”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan in the wake of her arrest, stating in an order it was “in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties.”

Flores-Ruiz, a native of Mexico, was later arrested and charged with unlawful reentry into the U.S.

He was sentenced to time served earlier this month after pleading guilty to the charge, federal court records show. DHS said last month he had been deported.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Manhunt continues after deadly Brown University mass shooting

New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police
New video of person of interest wanted in Brown University mass shooting released by police
A bouquet is left outside of the engineering and physics building at Brown University, the site of a mass shooting yesterday that left at least two people dead and nine others injured, on December 14, 2025, in Providence, Rhode Island. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Federal and local law enforcement officials in Rhode Island were continuing their search early on Monday for an assailant who fatally shot two Brown University students on Saturday in an academic building in Providence.

A person of interest in the case, who had been taken into custody early on Sunday, was released later in the day, after authorities said that there was no basis to continue detaining them.

“Tonight, we announced that the person of interest is being released. The investigation has been ongoing and remains fully active between all agencies,” the Providence Police Department said in a statement early on Monday. “Since the first call to 911, we have not received any specific threats to our community.”

Two people were killed and nine were injured in the shooting, according to officials. The injured victims were transported to local hospitals amid a day of “devastating gun violence,” Christina H. Paxson, the university’s president, said in a statement posted early on Sunday.

“Every year, emergency responders and students drill for the unthinkable — a shooting at our schools,” Gov. Dan McKee said in his own statement. “Yesterday, that action became all too real when a gunman opened fire on a classroom of innocent Brown University students.”

The FBI and other law enforcement officials shared a short video clip of someone whom they described as a person of interest. The individual in the clip is seen dressed in dark clothing, including what appeared to be a hood, as they walk along Hope Street and take a corner heading north.

The person’s right hand appeared to be in their jacket pocket as they walked northward along Waterman Street before exiting from the frame.

Officials said they still believe the person seen in that video is a person of interest in the shooting.

The person of interest who was detained and released on Sunday was initially caught at about 3:45 a.m. at a hotel in Coventry, about 28 miles south of Providence, according to law enforcement sources and Coventry police.

Law enforcement sources described the person of interest as a man in his mid-20s from Wisconsin. At the time the person was detained, the individual was allegedly in possession of two guns, according to sources.

There was “no basis” to keep the person detained, Attorney General of Rhode Island Peter Neronha said.

“Sometimes you head in one direction and have to regroup and go in another,” Neronha said. “That’s exactly what’s happened over the last 24 hours or so.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.