Law enforcement sources say the suspect in custody in connection with the Brown University shooting, Benjamin Erickson, is a decorated soldier who served at Arlington National Cemetery, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The profile shows that 24-year-old Erickson is a Wisconsin native who served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army, passed sniper training, has firearms instruction experience, and served as a rifleman from 2021 to 2024.
Erickson also received a Good Conduct Medal, participated in “security duties” near the president and assisted with funeral services in Arlington, the profile said.
He plans to continue his college education at Brown University in the fall 2025 semester, according to his LinkedIn page.
A U.S. Army spokesman said Erickson had no deployments and left last year with the rank of specialist. Brown did not immediately respond to questions about Erickson’s record.
Authorities say the suspect is not a current student at Brown University, but law enforcement sources told CNN he may have recently enrolled.
Emergency crews gathered at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday to investigate a shooting that killed two students and injured nine others. -Mark Stockwell/AP
Erickson took psychology-focused online courses at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after graduating from high school in July 2020, then transferred to Brown University for the fall semester after completing his military service, according to the profile, which also noted his various interests, including animal welfare, veteran support and helping the poor.
The profile also states that he worked as an apprentice carpenter and helped out at a horse rescue center.
A staff member at the Gentle Giant Draft Horse Rescue in Maryland told CNN that Erickson was part of an Army unit that learned horse handling techniques at the rescue center from 2023 to 2024. The staffer said Erickson was training with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment Caisson Detachment, which provides escorts for military and state funerals.
A high school yearbook contains a photo of Erickson on the school’s wrestling team. Profiles on
One of Erickson’s former high school classmates, Bryce Jankowski, said he recently exchanged text messages with Erickson, who said he was studying at Brown University.
“He said he was doing a good job,” Jankowski said. “He said he was staying in a hotel because his apartment was flooded,” although he said it didn’t seem to bother him.
Jankowski described Erickson as a well-behaved, intelligent man. He did not recall Erickson making any concerning comments, harboring extremist views or engaging in any behavioral challenges. “He’s very smart.”
After high school, he said Erickson told him he was attending U.S. Army sniper school.
A former high school wrestling teammate who spoke on condition of anonymity described Erickson as a “really nice guy, he’s quiet… When you get to know him, he’s very outgoing, but when you don’t know him, he’s very quiet.”
On Sunday afternoon, CNN observed the FBI at a Wisconsin home owned by the Erickson family.
A search of court databases showed Erickson had no clear criminal record, except for a 2023 case in which he was cited for driving on the sidewalk, but that charge was dismissed.
CNN’s Bill Kirkos, Thomas Bordeaux and Jeff Winter contributed to this report.
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