News Update: Brown University Shooting - New Suspect Emerging

Recently, Brown University began deleting certain pages of one of its students - Mustapha Kharbouch. This immediately caught the attention of several on-line crime sleuths. Kharbouch's information has been retrieved from back-up copies of the website.

Photos Originally from Brown University Website - have since been deleted

Widespread social media speculation has centered on Mustapha Kharbouch, a first-year Brown University student, as a potential suspect. Kharbouch is described in archived and screenshot-based profiles as a third-generation Palestinian refugee born and raised in Lebanon, who received a scholarship to attend United World College (UWC) Maastricht before enrolling at Brown. He was reportedly studying International & Public Affairs with a focus on the Middle East, and had been involved in community-building initiatives, social change roles, and pro-Palestinian activism, including writing poetry about campus encampments and affiliations with groups like the Center for Middle East Studies (CMES). Some online claims have labeled him as a "queer Palestinian activist" or even a "Hamas activist," though these remain unverified and unsubstantiated.

Users on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook have pointed out that Kharbouch's profile page on Brown University's website—previously accessible via the CMES section—now returns a "Page Not Found" error. Additionally, his X account appears to have been deleted or suspended. This has fueled theories of a cover-up, with posts questioning why the university is "scrubbing" references to him in real time during the investigation. For instance, one X post stated: "Brown University just WIPED all traces of this Palestinian student from its website AND his X account just got scrubbed too All during an ongoing shooting investigation…" Another speculated: "Why is Brown University now actively scrubbing all of their articles & links on their student assistant Mustapha Kharbouch???" Several on-line posts note the similarity in stature and build of Kharbouch to that of the newly released video surveillance images.

New Surveilance Video - Providance Police Dept

Brown University has not issued an official statement on the page removals, and President Christina Paxson reportedly claimed ignorance when questioned, saying, "I know nothing about web pages being taken down. First I’ve heard of it." Some users suggested the actions might be at the FBI's request, but this remains unconfirmed. Importantly, there is no verified connection between Kharbouch and the shooting; law enforcement has emphasized that no suspect has been identified, and social media rumors should not be treated as fact.

Officials have since issued statements condemning the doxxing of a student, clearly referring to Kharbouch without naming him. Adding further fuel to the speculation is that Kharbouch's whereabouts are now unknown.

Sources:

• Times of India: "Who is Mustapha Kharbouch, a Brown University student at the center of intense social media speculation..." (Published 10 hours ago)

• Boston25News on Facebook: "Do you recognize him? Law enforcement officials just released a new image..." (Published 11 minutes ago)

• News18: "Who Is Mustapha Kharbouch? Brown University Faces Heat For Scrubbing His Profile..." (Published 3 hours ago)

• Moneycontrol: "Who Is Mustapha Kharbouch? Brown University responds after deleted profile fuels speculation..." (Published 3 hours ago)

• DMLNewsApp on Facebook: "The Brown University people put out a statement claiming the Palestinian student..." (Published 5 hours ago)

• Instagram: "Mustapha Kharbouch's Absence from Brown University..." (Published 9 hours ago)

• Osint613 on X: "Brown University President Christina Paxson said she has no knowledge..." (Published 8 hours ago)

• Townhall: "Brown University Was Asked About Why Some Web Pages Are Being Scrubbed..." (Published 5 hours ago)

• Facebook Group: "Why was Palestine activist removed from Brown University webpage?" (Published 7 hours ago)

• YouTube: "Security expert analyzes video of Brown University person of interest" (Published 14 hours ago)