A Ghanaian student and teaching assistant at Brown University in the United States, Joseph Oduro, has recounted the terrifying moments he survived during a deadly shooting at the university’s Barus and Holley engineering and physics building.
The incident occurred when a lone gunman opened fire, killing two students and injuring nine others.
Oduro, who was leading a study group at the time of the incident, described the experience as deeply traumatic, saying he genuinely believed his life had come to an end when the gunman entered his lecture hall.
Speaking to ABC News Live anchor Whit Johnson, Oduro explained that the incident began with unusual noises outside the classroom. He said there was commotion in the corridor, with sounds of students screaming and what later turned out to be gunshots, although he initially struggled to process what was happening.
“At Brown University, which is an Ivy League institution, you assume that you’re going to be safe,” he said, noting that gun violence was not something he expected in that environment.
According to Oduro, just seconds later, the gunman barged into the classroom from the left side. He said he could not clearly recall what the suspect said, explaining that the individual appeared to mumble or scream something as he entered.
Oduro said panic immediately spread across the room as students desperately tried to escape. Standing at the front of the class, he was among the first to make eye contact with the gunman.
“I immediately saw a gun,” he recalled. “The gun was so big and long that I genuinely thought, ‘This is the end of the road for me.’”
He described watching students flee down the stairs, rush through exits, and drop to the ground in a frantic effort to stay alive.
Fearing for his life, Oduro said he hid behind a desk until police arrived at the scene.
Tragically, some of the students in the room did not survive the attack.
Meanwhile, authorities have confirmed that a person of interest who was earlier detained in connection with the shooting has since been released, citing insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing as the university community continues to mourn the victims and grapple with the aftermath of the violence.
