Ghanaian Student Recounts Gunman Bursting into Brown University Lecture Hall

A Brown University student has recounted his terrifying ordeal after a gunman opened fire on campus Saturday, leaving at least two people dead and nine injured. Joseph Oduro, who was leading an economics review session at the time of the shooting, described a chilling moment of eye contact with the armed assailant.

“I immediately, when I saw him, I saw a gun. The gun was so big and long that I genuinely thought, like, okay, this is the end of the road for me,” Oduro stated.

The incident occurred at the Barus & Holley building on the Providence, Rhode Island campus. According to police reports, the gunman fled the scene following the attack. A person of interest was briefly detained and subsequently released on Sunday, with no charges filed as of yet. Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting.

Oduro explained that he was with approximately 50 to 60 students preparing for their final economics exam when the chaos erupted. “Around five seconds or so later, we see a gunman walk in on the left-hand side,” he said, adding that he is scheduled to graduate this month.

The gunman was reportedly clad in dark clothing, completely covered except for his eyes and a portion of his hand. Oduro described a terrifying moment of direct confrontation. “We made eye contact. I know he mumbled something, screamed something, I don’t know exactly what was said, but he entered the room and you could just see the panic in all the students’ eyes. I was standing in the front so as soon as he walked in, he immediately saw me and I immediately saw him.”

As gunshots rang out, Oduro witnessed students scrambling for safety, either fleeing the room or diving to the ground. He immediately dropped to the floor and urged his fellow students to take cover behind a table. “He was about 30 feet from me at the top of the amphitheater-style lecture hall,” Oduro recalled. He estimates he heard between forty and fifty shots, with some victims sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

Oduro believes all those shot during the incident were participants in his review session. In a moment of profound fear, he sent a text message to his parents, sharing what he thought might be his final words. “I texted them, and I said, ‘I love you all and I’m sorry for all the trouble that I put you through and I just love you all, and I’m thankful for all of your lives,’” he shared, showing the message to ABC News.

Amidst his own terror, Oduro also focused on comforting a student who had been shot in both legs. “If she were to make a noise… anything like that and the gunman would have heard, we have no idea what would have happened. I think the state of emergency would have been way worse. So I gave her my hand to squeeze as hard as she could. I said, ‘Put all your pain on me because I could take it,’” he recounted.

The wait for the gunfire to cease felt interminable, “like 14 days,” according to Oduro. After the gunman left, students remained hidden, fearing his return. “You don’t know if he’s gonna come back, and the odds of him going to another room are extremely high. So, if we try and exit and find another way out, maybe we might cross paths with him again, and you can escape once, but you’re definitely not gonna escape twice,” he explained.

Another student, Ref Bari, described the initial confusion. “The shots rang out behind me,” Bari told ABC News. He had just finished a meeting and was walking down the stairs when he heard what he initially dismissed as unusual noises. “I’ve never heard anything like that in my life.”

Bari observed that many students in the common area were oblivious to the danger, engrossed in their studies. However, the repeated gunshots quickly shattered the calm. “And then it just rings out, like pop, pop, pop again. And then I don’t look back. I just run as fast as I can,” he said. He then ran to the science library shouting “Active shooter! Run!” before sheltering with friends.

“We hid in her bathroom for like two hours, four of us in a small bathroom for two hours. And it was terrifying, but I think, thanks to her, I’m alive right now,” Bari added.

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