Archive · 9 Jan 2026
Students Used Sidechat App During Brown Shooting
On December 13, there was a shooting at Brown University.
Students didn't wait for official alerts and used an app called Sidechat to share information in real-time.
They posted messages about where the shooter was, if it was safe, and how they were feeling.
Some students hid under tables or in classrooms.
The university sent an alert 15 minutes after students started posting.
The shooter was later found dead in New Hampshire.
Students shared their fears, acts of kindness, and struggles during the lockdown.
The first snowfall after the shooting made the campus feel different and sad.
Students used Sidechat to share real-time information during a shooting at Brown University.
The university's official alert was sent 15 minutes after students started posting on Sidechat.
Students hid in various places and shared their fears and experiences on the app.
The shooter was later found dead in New Hampshire by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Students expressed emotions ranging from fear to acts of kindness during the lockdown.
- Who
- Students at Brown University and an unidentified gunman
- What
- A shooting on campus with students using Sidechat for real-time information
- When
- December 13, during finals week
- Where
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- Why
- To navigate the emergency and share information quickly
- Date
- December 13
- Location
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- App Used
- Sidechat
- Number of Posts Analyzed
- 8,000
- University Alert Time
- 4:21 p.m.
- Shooter's Status
- Dead by self-inflicted gunshot wound in New Hampshire
- Victims
- Two students killed, one MIT professor