At least two people have been killed and eight more were injured in a shooting at an engineering building in Brown University, a law enforcement official said.
The Ivy League school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.
Police did not immediately release details about the victims' conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.
The official who gave the tally of at least two dead could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said two people had been killed and another eight people had been injured.
It is understood the injured have been taken to hospital, where they remain in a stable condition.
Police confirmed in a press conference they are looking for a male suspect who left the scene on foot.
University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown's emergency notification system.
The reported shooting occurred near the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university's School of Engineering and physics department.
According to the university's website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.
Engineering design exams were under way in the building when the shooting occurred.
A police officer warned members of the media to take cover in vehicles because the area was still an active scene.
"We're still getting information about what's going on, but we're just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant," said Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus.
"As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I'm heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who've been impacted."
Officers carrying assault weapons and emergency vehicles lined many of the streets surrounding the engineering school.
Officials were still gathering information, said Kristy DosReis, chief public information officer for the city.
President Donald Trump said late in the afternoon that he has been briefed on the shooting.
"God bless the victims and the families of the victims!" he said on his social media site.
The Ivy League school is a private, non-profit institution with about 7300 undergraduates and just over 3000 graduate students, according to its website.
