Brown University Resumes Classes, New Security Measures in Place

It took only minutes for the Brown University community in Providence to be changed forever. The Dec. 13, 2025, shooting at Brown University, resulting in the deaths of two students and injuries to nine more, upended end-of-semester plans for students, faculty, and staff.

When classes resumed on Wednesday, Jan. 21, for the spring semester, students, faculty, and staff conveyed a sense of loss and uncertainty. 

According to the Boston Globe, new campus safety features include emergency call stations with blue lights. Some buildings that were once open now require card access.

Inside Barus and Holley, the corridor that leads to room 166, the lecture hall where the shooting took place, is blocked off with a sign: “Construction zone. Do not enter.” 

Kate Mason, an anthropology professor, has been thinking about her students since the tragedy. She told the Globe that one of the classes she's teaching this semester addresses the lived experiences of disease and poor health — topics that include suffering and death.

“It's not like a chemistry class where you can say, ‘This horrible thing happened, now let's focus on chemistry,'” Mason said. Instead, it's “this horrible thing happened, and now we're going to spend the semester talking about things that might make you think about it.”

“I wouldn't blame students for not wanting to take that class right now,” she said.

The shooting at the campus, which is indelibly linked with the greater Providence community, raises questions about how accessible the campus is. The Globe reported that university leaders have embarked on a security review amid criticism that not enough cameras are on campus. Now, each building will feature some type of security checkpoint.

Annie Johnson, a sophomore, considered not returning for the spring semester. According to the Globe, Johnson was in the lecture hall when the gunman opened fire. 

She escaped the gunfire that followed, ultimately barricading herself in her residence hall before leaving Providence the following day. While she considered transferring, Johnson ultimately decided to return to Brown.

“There are reasons why I chose Brown in the first place,” Johnson said. “I didn't want to give it all up because some insane person decided to do something horrible. I didn't want to let this evil man take this from me.”