Brown manhunt echoes 2013 Boston lockdown
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Police search for evidence connected to the Brown University shooter. Photo: Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The search for the Brown University shooter is stirring Bostonians' memories of another massive manhunt that paralyzed the region over a decade ago.
Why it matters: The shelter-in-place order that affected Brown's campus and surrounding areas over the weekend has similarities to what Boston went through after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
What's happening: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced enhanced police presence throughout city neighborhoods Monday, sending officers door-to-door to request door-camera footage from residents.
Threat level: There was heightened police presence at Providence, East Providence and Pawtucket schools Monday during the search.
Catch up quick: A person of interest detained Sunday was released later that night, leaving investigators still searching for the gunman.
- Two Brown students, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook were killed and nine were injured in Saturday's shooting, according to police.
Flashback: Nearly 1 million Greater Boston residents sheltered in place on April 19, 2013, while law enforcement searched for Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick made the unprecedented decision to ask everyone in metro Boston to stay home while authorities were on the hunt.
- Public transit was suspended, and streets remained deserted throughout the day.
- About 12 hours later, Tsarnaev was found hiding in a boat in Watertown.
What they're saying: "It's extremely unsettling. But as long as you're safe behind a locked door and you don't do anything to bring attention to yourself, you just want to try to wait it out," Ed Davis, the former Boston Police Commissioner turned security consultant, told CBS Boston.
- Davis led Boston's response to the bombing and was a regular voice in the media throughout the lockdown.
The big picture: Both public safety crises demonstrate how rapidly cities can respond.
- By the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when much of the country's population remained under instructions to stay home, most Bostonians knew the drill.
What's next: All classes at Brown, including papers, exams and projects, have been canceled for the rest of the semester.
- Multiple other area schools, including URI, have canceled in-person exams.