Suspect released by authorities after Brown University shooting

A police vehicle is parked at an intersection near crime scene tape at Brown University on Sunday in Providence (Steven Senne/AP)

A person of interest detained after a Brown University shooting which killed two students and injured nine will be released after an investigation took law enforcement authorities in a “different direction”, officials said on Sunday night.

The disclosure, made at a hastily convened late night news conference, came more than 12 hours after officials had announced they had taken a person into custody in connection with the attack.