In the immediate aftermath, Brown University activated its emergency response systems, sending urgent alerts via text messages, emails, and phone notifications instructing students, faculty, and staff to shelter in place. The campus was placed on lockdown as police established a perimeter and searched for any additional threats. Helicopters hovered overhead while officers with long guns positioned themselves at key entrances and along nearby streets. Inside dormitories and academic buildings, students huddled together, frantically messaging loved ones and watching news updates for information. Faculty members worked to account for students, while administrators coordinated with city officials and first responders. Classes, exams, and campus events were canceled as the university shifted fully into crisis mode. Counseling services were expanded almost immediately, with mental health professionals dispatched to residence halls and student centers to support those experiencing shock, anxiety, or grief. For many, the emotional impact was immediate and overwhelming. Parents across the country struggled to reach their children, refreshing their phones for confirmation of safety. As the lockdown lifted later that evening, the campus remained eerily quiet, its familiar energy replaced by candles, handwritten notes, and impromptu memorials. Community vigils were organized within days, drawing students, faculty, alumni, and local residents together in shared mourning for the lives lost and solidarity with those injured.
