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How many hostages are left in Gaza?

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How many hostages are left in Gaza?
News

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How many hostages are left in Gaza?

2025-02-25 04:46 Last Updated At:04:51

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas freed six Israelis on Saturday in the last scheduled release of living hostages by the militant group under the current stage of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

In all, a total of 33 Israelis are being freed during this stage — including eight who are dead. Five Thai hostages have also been freed separately. Sixty-three hostages, including the body of a soldier held since 2014, remain in Gaza.

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Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israeli hostages Tal Shoham left, and Avera Mengisto are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli hostages Tal Shoham left, and Avera Mengisto are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli hostage Omer Shem, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Omer Shem, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Omer Wenkert, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Omer Wenkert, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, left, and Omer Shem Tov are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, left, and Omer Shem Tov are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, as the remains of four bodies are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, as the remains of four bodies are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A woman holds two children at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman holds two children at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, one of four Israeli hostages, to hand it over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, one of four Israeli hostages, to hand it over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A militant stands next to the coffins containing the bodies of hostages, from right to left, Shiri Bibas, her two children, Ariel and Kfir and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted before their are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A militant stands next to the coffins containing the bodies of hostages, from right to left, Shiri Bibas, her two children, Ariel and Kfir and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted before their are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A woman reacts at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, are handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman reacts at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, are handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

An Israeli soldier holds his cellphone as he walks into "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as Palestinian militant groups hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

An Israeli soldier holds his cellphone as he walks into "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as Palestinian militant groups hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman holds two children at "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman holds two children at "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman reacts as a convoy carrying the coffins containing the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, just handed over by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, drives by a road near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A woman reacts as a convoy carrying the coffins containing the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, just handed over by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, drives by a road near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israeli captive, Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, stands on a stage escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli captive, Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, stands on a stage escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in front of the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, ahead of the planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in front of the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, ahead of the planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The remains of four Israeli hostages have been returned in a transfer that was marred when Hamas handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother of two young boys abducted by militants. After a tense standoff, her remains were returned and identified early Saturday.

The final four sets of remains are expected to be returned in the coming days.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. More than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ensuing conflict, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Israel is releasing nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees during the first phase of the ceasefire in exchange for the hostages.

Here are details on the hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023:

Total captured: 251

Hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 141, of whom 4 were dead

Hostages still in captivity: 62, of whom Israel has declared 35 to be dead

Hostages in captivity who are soldiers: 13, of whom Israel has declared 7 to be dead

Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli troops: 40

Hostages rescued alive: 8

Non-Israelis still in captivity: 5 ( 3 Thais, 1 Nepalese, 1 Tanzanian), of whom 2 (1 Thai and 1 Nepalese) are believed to still be alive

Separately:

Hostages released who were held before Oct. 7, 2023: 2

Meanwhile, Israel retrieved the body of one soldier held in Gaza since he was killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. The body of a second soldier killed in 2014 remains in Gaza.

This story has been updated to correct the number of hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, who remain in captivity. It is 62, not 61. It also corrects the number of those in captivity Israel has declared dead. The number is 35.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis watch on a live broadcast as the first two of six hostages to be released in Gaza by Palestinian militants are handed over to the Red Cross, in 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israeli hostages Tal Shoham left, and Avera Mengisto are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli hostages Tal Shoham left, and Avera Mengisto are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli hostage Omer Shem, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Omer Shem, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Omer Wenkert, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostage Omer Wenkert, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, left, and Omer Shem Tov are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, left, and Omer Shem Tov are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, as the remains of four bodies are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, as the remains of four bodies are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A woman holds two children at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman holds two children at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza. Israel has identified three of the bodies as hostages and said the other was of an unknown person. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, one of four Israeli hostages, to hand it over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian fighters stand next to a coffin containing the body of Oded Lifshitz, one of four Israeli hostages, to hand it over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A militant stands next to the coffins containing the bodies of hostages, from right to left, Shiri Bibas, her two children, Ariel and Kfir and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted before their are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A militant stands next to the coffins containing the bodies of hostages, from right to left, Shiri Bibas, her two children, Ariel and Kfir and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted before their are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A woman reacts at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, are handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman reacts at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, are handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

An Israeli soldier holds his cellphone as he walks into "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as Palestinian militant groups hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

An Israeli soldier holds his cellphone as he walks into "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, as Palestinian militant groups hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman holds two children at "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman holds two children at "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after Palestinian militant groups handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman reacts as a convoy carrying the coffins containing the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, just handed over by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, drives by a road near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A woman reacts as a convoy carrying the coffins containing the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, just handed over by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, drives by a road near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A man holds a teddy bear at the so-called 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, after the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children, were handed over by Palestinian militant groups to the Red Cross in Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israeli captive, Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, stands on a stage escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli captive, Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, stands on a stage escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in front of the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, ahead of the planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in front of the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, ahead of the planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A person of interest was in custody Sunday after a shooting during final exams at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, though key questions remained unanswered nearly 24 hours after the attack.

The attack Saturday afternoon set off hours of chaos across the Ivy League campus and surrounding Providence neighborhoods as hundreds of officers searched for the shooter and urged students and staff to shelter in place. The lockdown, which stretched into the night, was lifted early Sunday, but authorities had not yet released information about a potential motive.

Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said Sunday afternoon that the person in custody was in their 20s and that no one has been charged yet. Perez, who earlier had said the person was in their 30s and that no one else was being sought, declined to say whether the detained person had any connection to Brown.

The person was taken into custody at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Providence, where police officers and FBI agents remained Sunday, blocking off a hallway with crime scene tape as they searched the area.

The shooting occurred during one of the busiest moments of the academic calendar, as final exams were underway. Brown canceled all remaining classes, exams, papers and projects for the semester and told students they were free to leave campus, underscoring the scale of the disruption and the gravity of the attack.

College President Christina Paxson teared up while describing her conversations with students both on campus and in the hospital.

“They are amazing and they’re supporting each other,” she said at an afternoon news conference. “There’s just a lot of gratitude.”

The gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. As of Sunday morning, authorities had not recovered a firearm but did find two loaded 30-round magazines, the official said. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity.

One student of the nine wounded students had been released from the hospital, said Paxson. Seven others were in critical but stable condition and one was in critical condition.

Providence leaders said residents would notice a heavier police presence, and many area businesses announced Sunday that they would remain closed. A scheduled 5K run was postponed until next weekend.

Mayor Brett Smiley invited residents to gather Sunday evening in a city park where an event had been scheduled to light a Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah.

“For those who know at least bit of the Hanukkah story, it is quite clear that if we can come together as a community to shine a little bit of light tonight, there’s nothing better that we can be doing,” he told reporters.

Smiley said he visited some of the wounded students and was inspired by their courage, hope and gratitude. One told him that active shooting drills done in high school proved helpful.

“The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me, is frankly pretty overwhelming,” he said. “We're all saddened, scared, tired, but what they've been through is something different entirely.”

Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom at the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.

Engineering design exams were underway. Outer doors of the building were unlocked but rooms being used for final exams required badge access, Smiley said.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she waited for hours.

Surveillance video released by police showed a suspect, dressed in black, walking from the scene.

Eva Erickson, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before shots rang out.

The engineering and thermal science student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s first openly autistic contestant. She was locked down in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present was safely evacuated.

Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was working on a final research project in his dorm across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside.

“I’m just in here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as armed officers surrounded his dorm.

Students in a nearby lab turned off the lights and hid under desks after receiving an alert, said Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block from where the shooting occurred.

Mari Camara, 20, a junior from New York City, was coming out of the library and rushed inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.

“Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.

Brown, the seventh-oldest higher education institution in the U.S., is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges with roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students.

Crystal McCollaum, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was staying at the hotel where the person of interest was taken into custody. She was with her daughter to attend a cheerleading competition in Providence, but after hearing about the shooting, she thought they would be safer staying outside the city.

“It was just weird and scary,” she said.

Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press journalists Jennifer McDermott in Providence and Alanna Durkin Richer and Mike Balsamo in Washington contributed.

A pedestrian walks across the intersection of Waterman St. and Hope St. Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, after a shooting on Saturday in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

A pedestrian walks across the intersection of Waterman St. and Hope St. Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, after a shooting on Saturday in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Pedestrians walk past and glance at the scene of a shooting at Brown University Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, after a shooting on Saturday in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Pedestrians walk past and glance at the scene of a shooting at Brown University Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, after a shooting on Saturday in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Police caution tape lays askew at Brown University's Ittleson Quad Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, after a shooting on Saturday in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Police caution tape lays askew at Brown University's Ittleson Quad Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, after a shooting on Saturday in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Police tape off hotel rooms where the person of interest was arrested in a shooting in Coventry, RI., (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

Police tape off hotel rooms where the person of interest was arrested in a shooting in Coventry, RI., (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

Police tape off hotel rooms where the person of interest was arrested in a shooting in Coventry, RI., (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

Police tape off hotel rooms where the person of interest was arrested in a shooting in Coventry, RI., (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

A police officer hangs yellow crime tape at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

A police officer hangs yellow crime tape at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Emergency personnel gather on Waterman Street at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Emergency personnel gather on Waterman Street at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Police vehicles rest in intersections in a neighborhood near Brown University, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, R.I., following a shooting at the university Saturday, Dec. 13. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Police vehicles rest in intersections in a neighborhood near Brown University, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, R.I., following a shooting at the university Saturday, Dec. 13. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A police vehicle rests at an intersection near crime scene tape at Brown University, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, R.I., following a Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 shooting at the university. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A police vehicle rests at an intersection near crime scene tape at Brown University, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, R.I., following a Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 shooting at the university. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Mayor Brett Smiley speaks to reporters during a Brown University news conference, in Providence, R. I., Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

Mayor Brett Smiley speaks to reporters during a Brown University news conference, in Providence, R. I., Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

Law enforcement officials carry rifles while walking on a street in a neighborhood near Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Law enforcement officials carry rifles while walking on a street in a neighborhood near Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson attends a news conference addressing the investigation following a shooting on Brown University's campus Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson attends a news conference addressing the investigation following a shooting on Brown University's campus Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP)

Students are escorted by law enforcement officers to a building at Brown University after a shooting, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, R.I.. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Students are escorted by law enforcement officers to a building at Brown University after a shooting, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, R.I.. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Law enforcement officials carrying weapons gather near Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Law enforcement officials carrying weapons gather near Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A law enforcement official walks past articles of clothing on a sidewalk near an entrance to Brown University, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, R.I., during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A law enforcement official walks past articles of clothing on a sidewalk near an entrance to Brown University, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, R.I., during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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