Video Footage of Brown University Mass Shooting Released with Redacted Graphic Images
The Providence Police Department released a batch of video footage from the day of the deadly Brown University shooting, which claimed two lives and injured nine others. The release came after city officials said they had redacted the most graphic and violent images to avoid harming victims and maintain trust in the community.
According to Mayor Brett Smiley, the decision to release the footage was made after consulting with victims' families, who requested that it be delayed until after a memorial service was held on campus. The police department waited for the go-ahead from the families before releasing the material, which includes audio clips and body camera footage.
The released footage shows a chaotic scene of officers responding to the shooting, with some not knowing if the shooter was still in the building. The audio captures officers describing a possible sighting of the suspect on the second floor of another building and a report of a suspect being taken into custody.
One of the victims "quickly froze, physically pushed back" and began crying and shaking as she confirmed that the image matched the person who shot her. Another victim "took a deep breath, shut his eyes, changed his breathing pattern and confirmed that the shooter he saw in the hallway appeared to be the person in the photos presented."
The suspect, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, was identified through information from a tipster who encountered him near Brown University. The FBI recovered electronic devices containing videos of the killings during a search of a storage facility where Valente's body was found.
Valente planned the attack for years and left behind no motive. He studied at Brown as a graduate student in 2000-2001 before moving to the US in 2017 through a visa lottery program.
The Justice Department has said that the investigation is ongoing, with authorities still trying to piece together the events leading up to the shooting. The release of the video footage and audio clips brings closure to some but also raises concerns about how graphic images will be handled in the future.
For now, the city's decision to redact most graphic images and wait for the families' approval is seen as a step towards transparency while still respecting the victims' wishes.
The Providence Police Department released a batch of video footage from the day of the deadly Brown University shooting, which claimed two lives and injured nine others. The release came after city officials said they had redacted the most graphic and violent images to avoid harming victims and maintain trust in the community.
According to Mayor Brett Smiley, the decision to release the footage was made after consulting with victims' families, who requested that it be delayed until after a memorial service was held on campus. The police department waited for the go-ahead from the families before releasing the material, which includes audio clips and body camera footage.
The released footage shows a chaotic scene of officers responding to the shooting, with some not knowing if the shooter was still in the building. The audio captures officers describing a possible sighting of the suspect on the second floor of another building and a report of a suspect being taken into custody.
One of the victims "quickly froze, physically pushed back" and began crying and shaking as she confirmed that the image matched the person who shot her. Another victim "took a deep breath, shut his eyes, changed his breathing pattern and confirmed that the shooter he saw in the hallway appeared to be the person in the photos presented."
The suspect, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, was identified through information from a tipster who encountered him near Brown University. The FBI recovered electronic devices containing videos of the killings during a search of a storage facility where Valente's body was found.
Valente planned the attack for years and left behind no motive. He studied at Brown as a graduate student in 2000-2001 before moving to the US in 2017 through a visa lottery program.
The Justice Department has said that the investigation is ongoing, with authorities still trying to piece together the events leading up to the shooting. The release of the video footage and audio clips brings closure to some but also raises concerns about how graphic images will be handled in the future.
For now, the city's decision to redact most graphic images and wait for the families' approval is seen as a step towards transparency while still respecting the victims' wishes.
. I can only imagine how tough it must be for the families of the victims to see that stuff. It's good they waited for their go-ahead before releasing the footage, and now that it is out, some people are finding closure, which is amazing 
. But at the same time, it's weird how we're already talking about how this will affect future investigations... I guess it's just the way things are, but still 
. On a positive note, though, it's awesome that all those victims who did end up seeing themselves in the footage were able to confirm their identities, even if it was tough for them 
.
the fact that this happened on campus still blows my mind... 9 people were hurt and 2 lost their lives 
i guess we'll never know now. the city's decision to redact the graphic images is a good one, though... at least they're trying to respect the victims' wishes while still giving some insight into what happened 
they're trying 2 keep it from getting worse but really it's just more trauma for those already hurt 
and why do we need 2 see these videos anyway? is it progress or just voyeurism? 
. First, you're gonna show us all this graphic stuff and then redact the actual violent parts... how's that even going to work? And what about those poor victims who are still grieving? They didn't ask for a public spectacle of their trauma 
. I get that the families wanted to be consulted, but can we just have some privacy here? It feels like the police department is trying too hard to be transparent and is just ending up being insensitive 
. And don't even get me started on how they're handling the footage now... it's just a bunch of redacted clips that aren't really helping anything 
. Can we just have some clarity without all these details?
. It's crazy to think how much has changed, yet some things remain the same - the pain and trauma that families & communities go through after a tragedy like this. The police department's decision to redact graphic images is a good one... I mean, who wants to relive that horror? 
Still, it's interesting how technology can be both a blessing (more info) & a curse (too much info). Can't help but wonder what would've happened if those audio clips were released sooner... would it've helped or hurt the victims' families in some way?