By Meghan Talsma
Levi Neuwirth has driven the stretch of highway between Rhode Island and the Hudson Valley more times than he can count. This weekend, that familiar drive felt different. By the time he crossed back into New York, he was returning from a campus forever changed.
Neuwirth, a senior at Brown University and a 2022 graduate of Wallkill High School, was on campus when a shooting unfolded inside the Barus and Holley Engineering Building on Saturday afternoon on December 13. Though he narrowly missed being near the building when the incident occurred, the hours that followed–marked by fear, confusion, and an overwhelming wait for answers—remain vivid.
“I had just gotten back to my dorm and put my phone away to study,” he said. “The first thing I heard was my best friend calling me—not to say hello, but just asking, ‘Where are you?’ I knew immediately something was very wrong.”
As emergency alerts began to circulate and sirens filled the air, Neuwirth barricaded himself inside his dorm room, sheltering in place for hours while police searched campus. Helicopters circled overhead. Conflicting reports spread quickly—first suggesting a suspect was in custody, then walking that back—deepening the sense of uncertainty that gripped students.
“The waiting was the hardest part,” he said. “Not knowing who was okay. Not knowing what the outcome would be. And knowing that whatever we were waiting for was going to be devastating, no matter what.”
Despite the fear, Neuwirth said what stood out most was the way the Brown community responded almost immediately—through constant check-ins, shared information, and a collective instinct to look out for one another.
“I don’t think I’ve ever received that many calls or texts in my life,” he said. “From close friends, from acquaintances, from people I hadn’t spoken to in years. Everyone was just trying to make sure everyone else was okay.”
That sense of togetherness continued into the early morning hours, as students were escorted out of buildings and relocated, and later as the city of Providence held a vigil honoring the two students who lost their lives.
By Sunday morning, once the shelter-in-place order was lifted, Neuwirth left campus to reunite with his family. The drive home—along highways he has traveled countless times—felt different.
“I’ve never been so happy to see the ‘Welcome to New York’ sign,” he said. “Coming home gave me space to breathe, process, remember that there’s so much I love about that community—and that I will return to it.”
Now back in the Hudson Valley, Neuwirth says the change in scenery has helped him begin to make sense of what happened, even as the emotional weight lingers. He emphasizes that while the trauma is real, it does not define Brown—or the people who make up its campus.
“This isn’t going to destroy the community,” he said. “It’s not going to take away the joy or the love that exists there. What I saw was kindness, courage, and people refusing to let fear win.”
For local families with children away at college, Neuwirth hopes his story serves as both reassurance and reminder—to check in, to stay connected, and to hold space for one another.
“These events are anomalies,” he said. “They’re horrific, but they’re not the norm. And the response, the humanity, that’s what we should be focusing on.”
As students disperse for the semester’s end, Neuwirth says he carries both grief and gratitude with him—grief for what was lost, and gratitude for the people who showed up when it mattered most.
“There is real evil in the world,” he said. “But there is so much more goodness. I felt it everywhere—on campus, on my phone, and now back home.”
For those who want to support the Brown community in the wake of the tragedy, Neuwirth noted that verified GoFundMe pages have been created for the families of the two students who lost their lives. Links to the fundraiser can be found at gofundme.com/c/act/brown-university-shooting-relief.