Benjamin Erickson is an American citizen who has become the subject of the national and international press after being named by the police as a person of relevance in a shooting outside Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Before this accident, Erickson was relatively unknown.
Details of his life have since come out in official releases as well as reporting by large news outlets whose investigation has centered on his background, military service, and the circumstances that surrounded the ongoing investigation.
Benjamin Erickson Biography | |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Benjamin Erickson |
| Birth Date: | 2000s |
| Age (as of 2025): | 24 Years |
| Hometown: | Wisconsin, USA |
| Height: | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Parents: | – |
Early Life
Benjamin Erickson is 24 years old and is actually said to be a native of the state of Wisconsin, as reported by several national news publications in the U.S. Although the government has not provided specifics regarding the hometown of his early life, the family, and his early schooling, law enforcement sources have verified his relationship with Wisconsin before his role in the events that are being investigated.
According to public reporting, Erickson led a relatively secretive lifestyle prior to reaching the national stage, having no public profile and/or media presence. Officials have not published information regarding his childhood, schooling, or other life stages, and news outlets have highlighted that such information has not been disclosed since the investigation is ongoing.
Benjamin Erickson Career
Benjamin Erickson, according to various confirmed reports, has served in the United States Army in the past. Until December 2025, Benjamin Erickson led a mostly private life with little professional activity recorded publicly. Authenticated reporting to verify that he served in the United States Army between May 2021 and November 2024, rising to the Specialist rank.
As a serviceperson, he was assigned to work at the Arlington National Cemetery, where he did ceremonial and security duties. The government has confirmed that he had no foreign assignments, and no known documents show that he was disobedient in the military. After his release, there was no publicly recognized post that Erickson served.
Investigators subsequently determined a LinkedIn profile bearing his name, now deleted, that stated that he had enrolled at Brown University in the Fall 2025 semester after finishing his military service. The police have verified that Erickson was not a student at Brown University, and the status of any affiliation to the school is being looked into.
Brown University Shooting
Benjamin Erickson gained national attention following a shooting outside Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in the Barus and Holley engineering and physics building, during a final review exam. According to the official statements, the incident killed two students and injured nine others.
After an 11-hour manhunt, law enforcement agencies tracked Erickson down with cellphone geolocation data, CCTV video, license plate readers, and tips given by citizens, with help from the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST).
Around 3.45 a.m., he was arrested without resistance at a Hampton Inn in Coventry, Rhode Island, some 16 miles off campus. A revolver and a Glock handgun with a laser sight were found in his hotel room, and the laser attachment was a major line of inquiry picked up by law enforcement.
At the most recent updates, Erickson has been detained as a person of interest without any official charges. Law enforcement officers have confirmed that they believe he is the gunman, but have also clarified that the investigation is still underway and that final legal conclusions will be reached by due process.
Social Media
In the wake of the incident, various media houses reported about the emergence of some so-called social media accounts that were suspected to be linked with the name Benjamin Erickson. These rumors were short-lived on sites like X (previously Twitter) and mentioned in news outlets like the Hindustan Times and the Times of India.
Nonetheless, law enforcement agencies never officially verified the ownership of such accounts. Consequently, no established social media account of Erickson can be conclusively identified. Officials have warned not to jump to conclusions based on unconfirmed material on the internet and that in high-profile cases, misinformation tends to go viral in seconds.
Personal Life
No confirmed or publicly verified facts about Benjamin Erickson are known about his romantic relationships. A spouse, partner, or dating history has not been mentioned in major news media, and law enforcement has not disclosed anything about his personal relationships.
Without confirmed reporting, it is correct to say that his relationship status with regard to romance is unknown and unreported. The speculative information on the internet about personal relationships is unsubstantiated, stale, and barren.