The search for a suspect in the Brown University shooting continued on Sunday after authorities released a previously identified person of interest, prompting investigators to reassess their findings and re-examine available evidence.
Commenting on the development, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst and former FBI Special Agent Steve Moore said such turns are common in complex criminal investigations.
“No investigation is perfect and you’re going to go through ups and downs,” Moore told Rosemary Church.
Moore explained that investigators would now need to reset their approach after determining that the information linking the individual to the case was flawed.
“So you pretty much have to throw out, not the evidence, but the conclusions from the evidence,” he said. “And you start, basically, as if you’re seeing the evidence for the first time and say ‘Where should this lead us?’”
He added that the absence of further attacks since the incident could offer some reassurance to the community.
“It would indicate to me that they didn’t have further plans for violence. So to me, it mitigates towards people having a reason to feel safer,” he said.
In a statement released on Sunday night, Brown University said there was “no basis” to regard the released Wisconsin man as a person of interest, noting that law enforcement agencies are continuing with their investigation.
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The university added that police had indicated there was no immediate threat to the campus or the surrounding community, although there remains a “heightened amount” of local, state and federal law enforcement presence in the area.
University officials acknowledged that the update may raise concerns within the campus community.
“We know that this update may prompt numerous questions,” officials said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing and that the university is deferring to the Providence Police Department for further updates.
“We continue to make every effort to ensure the safety and security of the campus. We are also advising every member of the Brown community to be vigilant in their own activities on campus,” the statement read.