A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha is on the line to discuss the state's response to the mass shooting at Brown University. Attorney General, really quick, I read your social media post that the shooting happened in the same building where your two sons were educated not long ago. I'm wondering how making that - such a closeness that you have with this story, how does that affect how you process all this?
PETER NERONHA: Well, look, A, you know, I think I certainly, like everyone, feel, you know, a great sense of loss and compassion for the parents and families who lost children and who have children in the hospitals wounded. Yeah, it's personal. And both of my sons were home. They're 2019 and '22 graduates. They effectively grew up in those buildings, and I know those buildings well. And yeah, it hits home, as it does for a lot of Rhode Islanders.
MARTÍNEZ: So where does the investigation stand at this point?
NERONHA: You know, working really around the clock. I mean, I was in the command post until very late last night, you know, working through a lot of video and tips that have come in. You know, a focus on the person of interest that we have additional video on that we developed yesterday. I think because a lot of folks were either away for the weekend or there were businesses that we needed to pull video from that we didn't have in the first 36 hours. So we're making progress.
But look, I've been a state or federal prosecutor for 30 years. And I know that in cases like this when you don't have, right out of the chute, you know, either an eyewitness who can identify someone right away or, you know, the kind of video or photographic evidence we like right away that these things can take some time, as frustrating that is for everyone who is affected by this crime, this murder, this double homicide and multiple shooting, mass shooting. You know, particularly the families involved that are just looking for some answers.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. Frustrating and scary, right? I mean, because, I mean, there're parents of some younger children that are staying home with them because some schools are closed. And students are scrambling to leave the Brown campus because they don't feel safe right now. The shooter is still on the loose. I mean, so how do you keep the community in Providence calm and give them a feeling of at least that things are safe?
NERONHA: Yeah, look, I mean, I think as a former Brown parent, I know that if my kids were on that campus, you know, a few days ago, I'd have them home. I mean, I wouldn't care about their exams. You know, tuition and that kind of stuff would be the last thing I'd be thinking about. I'd want them home. I totally understand that. And the same is true for people who live and work in that part of the city and around the city and around the state. Look, a lot of my employees live in that part of the city. You know, my office is just a few blocks away. So, you know, it's felt very much by our own employees, for example.
When I counseled the mayor the other night, you know, when we were meeting before the press conference Sunday night, I counseled both the mayor and the police chief to have a large visible police presence both on the Brown and near the Brown campus and throughout the city. For two reasons. No. 1, obviously, I think it deters. You know, to the extent this shooter is still close by, it deters - or any other copycat, you know, heaven forbid - sort of criminal activity. And criminal activity more broadly, it deters that criminal activity.
And that visible police presence should make people feel more safe. But, you know, the fact that people are scared is perfectly understandable. And I imagine there'll be some element of that until we have this person in custody. And we are literally working around the clock. Our prosecutors are embedded with the police detectives, along with federal and state detectives and agents.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
NERONHA: And as I said, you know, dozens of them were at the station - excuse me - until late last night and beyond. They were still there when I left around midnight, you know, pouring through the video evidence, you know, tracing the shooter's last movements, movements before the shooting. So we're making progress. And we're just going to have to keep at it until we have enough evidence to pull someone into custody and bring some charges.
MARTÍNEZ: Just about 30 seconds to go, Attorney General. You mentioned pouring through what you have right now. What of that can you share with us in terms of where the shooter might be?
NERONHA: Well, you know, we don't know where specifically he is right now. But we can and have been able to trace his movements both before and after the shooting in the immediate vicinity of the Brown Barus & Holley building. And so, you know, piecing that evidence together, you know, we are making progress. And we expect, as more tips are coming in and more, we're going to be able to push out, I think, some more video evidence sometime today.
MARTÍNEZ: OK.
NERONHA: I think we'll make more progress.
MARTÍNEZ: That's Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha. Thank you very much for your time.
NERONHA: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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