Brown University Police Chief Placed on Leave Following Campus Shooting

Brown University has placed its police chief, Rodney Chatman, on leave following a campus shooting that resulted in two student deaths and nine injuries. University President Christina H. Paxson announced the decision in a letter to the university community on Monday.

Hugh T. Clements Jr., former Providence Police Chief, has been appointed as interim vice president of public safety. Clements, who served as Providence's police chief from 2012 to 2023, will report directly to President Paxson during his interim tenure.

The shooting occurred on December 13 at the Barus and Holley engineering building, leaving two students dead and nine others injured. The suspect, identified as Claudio Neves Valente, a former Brown University graduate student, was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In response to the incident, the U.S. Department of Education has initiated a program review to determine if Brown University violated federal campus security requirements. The review will assess the university's compliance with the Higher Education Act, which mandates certain safety and security measures for institutions receiving federal student aid.

President Paxson also announced the formation of a rapid response team to prioritize immediate safety and security measures during the upcoming winter break and the Spring 2026 semester. The team will focus on enhancements such as improved camera coverage, panic alarms, and physical safety measures.