Investigators report discovery of unused bullets at Brown University shooting site: Sources

Paul Mauro said unfired rounds could hold the shooter’s DNA, which officers could use to match relatives through genealogy databases and get new leads
PUBLISHED DEC 18, 2025
Paul Mauro emphasized that familial DNA techniques could help trace relatives, offering investigators a way to narrow the manhunt for the Brown University shooter (Fox News/YouTube, Getty Images)
Paul Mauro emphasized that familial DNA techniques could help trace relatives, offering investigators a way to narrow the manhunt for the Brown University shooter (Fox News/YouTube, Getty Images)


PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND: The recent shooting at Brown University is a constantly evolving story. With the shooter still at large, law enforcement has asked the civilians to keep an eye out.

As details of the shooting and its investigation come to light, Fox News contributor and former NYPD cop Paul Mauro revealed on 'Fox and Friends', on Thursday, December 18, that his sources told him that live ammunition was found at the crime scene.

He also said that the same could help police find a DNA match even if the suspect was not in the system.

(FBI Boston/x)
Manhunt for Brown University shooter still ongoing (FBI Boston/x)

Paul Mauro sees ‘hopeful sign’ in Brown University DNA evidence 

During his latest appearance on ‘Fox and Friends’, Paul Mauro stated that there were unfired live rounds found at Brown University.

He added that it mattered because live rounds were undetonated; the perpetrators would have used his fingers and hands to insert those bullets into the magazine of his gun.

Mauro added that since they had a suspect handling rounds that did not explode, it was a “hopeful sign for getting usable DNA” even if the suspect wasn’t in the police database.

Brown University student Jaden Anselmo sends a text message to his mother as live shooting unfolded on campus. Two confirmed dead, eight injured, and the suspect is still at large (@Rep. Nancy Mace/X)
Brown University student Jaden Anselmo sent a text message to his mother as live shooting unfolded on campus (@Rep Nancy Mace/X)

Paul Mauro explained that even if the shooter was not in the database, the police would use the “familiar DNA technique,” which could get the police department a step closer to finding the shooter by identifying a “cousin” or another family member and “work back from there.”

He added that the discovery was a “positive” sign for the investigation. 

This undated file image shows Ella Cook, a Brown University student who was killed in a mass shooting on campus in Providence, RI, Saturday, December 13, 2025 (Instagram/elinacoutlakis)
This undated file image shows Ella Cook, a Brown University student who was killed in a mass shooting on campus in Providence, RI, Saturday, December 13, 2025 (Instagram/elinacoutlakis)

Criminal profiler says suspected shooter likely a ‘loner’

Criminal profiler John Kelly also chimed in on the suspected shooter responsible for wounding nine students and killing two at Brown University.

While speaking to Fox News on Thursday, he provided a profile for the shooter and said he was likely “extremely angry” and “lonely.”

Commenting on why the shooter scoped out the area beforehand and prepared an escape route, Kelly stated that he was “scared of getting caught.” 

Mayor Brett Smiley speaks to reporters during a Brown University news conference, in Providence, R. I., Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)
Mayor Brett Smiley speaks to reporters during a Brown University news conference in Providence, RI, Sunday, December 14 (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)

He explained that the shoot-out did not seem like something the killer believed was worth dying for, but something that he was angry about.

He also said that the shooter was likely to be confined to a “private place online,” assuming that he was watching everything about himself on the news, because “all these guys have a certain amount of paranoia.” 

“I believe this guy is no different. He wants to kill kids but he’s scared of doing the time for it,” he added.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Donald Trump said that any praise only matters if the country is doing well
5 hours ago
Billie Eilish spoke against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, linking it to the deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti
6 hours ago
Christopher Columbus faced scrutiny over Indigenous treatment, while Donald Trump argued he should be judged by his era and praised him as a hero
6 hours ago
Trump says the Independence Arch aims to restore national grandeur, emphasizing beauty and prestige, not his personal legacy
7 hours ago
Nicki Minaj mocked Gavin Newsom, slammed aide Izzy Gardon, and said he embarrassed himself abroad by criticizing the country and the president
7 hours ago
The trespassing occurred less than 10 minutes from Nancy Guthrie’s home and was later shared with investigators as a possible lead
7 hours ago
Erika Kirk says TPUSA’s rival halftime show will stream alongside the Super Bowl and spotlight English‑speaking artists as a family‑friendly cultural choice
8 hours ago
Savannah Guthrie said her family is ready to talk but needs proof Nancy Guthrie is alive, urging those holding her to reach out and make contact
8 hours ago
The 'ICE OUT' rally took place in LA County’s South Bay and featured protesters holding signs critical of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement
8 hours ago
Trump tells NBC he feels as sharp and energetic as decades ago, brushing off concerns about his age and ongoing health speculation
8 hours ago