Brown University, an esteemed Ivy League institution in Rhode Island, faced a tragic incident during finals week when a mass shooting resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals and injured eight more on Saturday.

In the aftermath, authorities issued a shelter-in-place order and cordoned off nearby streets as they pursued a male suspect linked to the incident.

“Our hearts are heavy with grief following today’s tragic events at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building,” expressed Brown University President Christina H. Paxson in a heartfelt message to the university community. “Words cannot adequately convey our sorrow for the victims and their families.”

She continued, “We never imagined a day like this would befall our community. This is a profound loss for us all. We are thankful for the swift action of law enforcement and their dedication to ensuring our safety. Please remain vigilant and take necessary precautions.”

Although Rhode Island Hospital is currently on lockdown, it continues to admit patients in need of emergency care.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation, keeping informed about the unfolding events.

“What a terrible thing it is,” the president said. “All we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt, it looks like. … We’ll inform you later as to what’s happening, but it’s a shame. Let’s just pray.”

Ambulances at Brown University amid an active shooter incident. (Andrea Margolis/Fox News Digital)

Brown University, an Ivy League school founded in 1764, is a leading nonprofit research university in Providence, Rhode Island.

The institution has more than 11,000 students and 5,500 employees, including close to 900 regular faculty.

Brown University’s endowment is $8 billion, making it among the wealthiest institutions in the country.

The shooting Saturday was just the most recent shooting on a U.S. college campus.

A junior Brown University student told Fox News Digital he was barricaded in a university building during the shooting, called 911 and waited nearly two hours before police arrived.

“They brought us down into a basement office space with a few hundred people and have been sweeping the building getting groups of people as they call 911 and inform them of their location,” the student said. “We’re hearing pretty daunting numbers, and people are all checking in on their friends.”

A law enforcement official walks past articles of clothing on a sidewalk near an entrance to Brown University during the investigation of a shooting. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

On Tuesday, a shooting at Kentucky State University killed one student and critically injured another.

There were also other shootings on college campuses earlier this year, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a September event at Utah Valley University and a shooting at Florida State University in April in which two people were killed and seven were wounded.