Then on Tuesday, the FBI posted a compilation of security camera footage of the suspect that apparently included home addresses of the people whose footage was collected. The initial social media post was promptly deleted and about an hour later the FBI reposted a version with the addresses removed.
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“It’s just a further demonstration of how completely unqualified he is and how he has to be removed from his position,” Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey said of Patel’s Sunday post about the person in custody. “In this instance, it led people to believe that the culprit had been caught, which reduced everyone’s attention for that time period where, perhaps with a little more focus, that person could have been apprehended.”
Democrats such as Markey have been critical of Patel since before he was nominated, with some feuds dating back to when he was a House staffer during the first Trump administration. But, it’s his handling of the Brown University investigation that has inflamed the long-simmering frustration with his tenure atop the country’s top law enforcement agency.
Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed made a point to laud local FBI officials, but was critical of Patel.
“The premature leak of information was unfortunate,” said Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed. “The first priority is to capture the real perpetrator and the second priority is to notify the public you have, and I think he reversed those.”
Reed, who did not vote for Patel’s confirmation, said Patel has been a departure from a tradition of FBI directors with lengthy experience in law enforcement and an aversion to publicity.
“There’s been a series of miscues,” Reed said. “I didn’t think he had the experience or the temperament to effectively carry out the job.”
Flowers are seen outside of Barus & Holley School at Brown University where two people were killed and nine people were injured by a gunman.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Two students were fatally shot and nine others injured when a gunman opened fire during a study session in a Brown University classroom on Saturday afternoon. Seven of the victims remained hospitalized as of Tuesday morning, with six listed in critical condition. There has been little information since Sunday, though the FBI late Monday offered a $50,000 reward for information and new, grainy images of the suspected gunman.offered a $50,000 reward
Patel has been providing information on the investigation mostly on social media and has not personally attended any of the local briefings as of Tuesday afternoon. A podcast episode featuring he and his girlfriend interviewed by Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, was set to air Tuesday night. A teaser of the episode posted on Monday night was met with a raft of comments questioning the relationship-focused interview as the manhunt continued. Miller later clarified the interview was taped before Sunday.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment about Patel’s leadership and when the podcast was recorded. President Trump defended the FBI’s work to reporters on Monday night and pointed to local police instead.
“This was a school problem,” Trump said. “They had their own guards, they had their own police, they had their own everything. But you’d have to ask that question, really, to the school, not to the FBI.”
In a post on X, Patel pledged the FBI would continue to support the investigation.
“We will continue providing all assets, resources, and personnel necessary to support,” Patel wrote Monday night. “We sent additional resources and personnel earlier today to help track down leads, canvass neighborhoods, and develop intelligence.”
Rhode Island’s representatives in Congress have made a point of praising the work of the local FBI office and officers, especially the coordination with state and local law enforcement on the ground. Both Rhode Island Representatives Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner noted their faith in the personnel on the scene.
“The Boston FBI office is working hand-in-glove with Providence, with state police, and look, the mission has got to be squarely focused on finding the right person and making sure that … the process enables airtight charges,” Amo said.
But Amo noted it was “essential” that communications from leaders was “accurate” and “thoughtful,” because “anything that isn’t specifically rooted in accuracy creates a challenge in the community, who is rightfully experiencing a little bit of fear.”
Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, who has been highly critical of Patel in the past, declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.
But Democrats more broadly in the Senate expressed frustration with Patel and his penchant to announce information on investigations early, if not prematurely.
“I don’t think he’s competent or fit for that job,” said Senator Cory Booker. “Under Democrat and Republican administrations, the FBI has erred on the side, when it comes to those kinds of public relations, of getting the facts right first. … I’m very concerned his lack of professionalism, his performance politics and more, undermines the mission of the DOJ.”
Booker and other Democrats also expressed concern about how resources were being deployed within the FBI. Roughly one-quarter or more of FBI agents reassigned to immigration enforcement, according to The Washington Post.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren called for “more transparency” from the FBI about the investigation and its capacity.
“There’s an open question about whether there are enough FBI agents to do both the legwork in advance of a horrific shooting or other event to help prevent it, and enough people to put on the subsequent investigation when something goes horribly wrong,” Warren said. “We keep getting clues that the FBI is badly mismanaged.”
Republicans, though, largely defended Patel, saying he’s trying to bring needed reforms to the agency. The New York Times reported that Patel’s posts about the Brown University shooting thus far have hewed more closely to material prepared by staff than his announcements in previous investigations. And Republicans said an aggressive investigation means following every lead, even if they don’t pan out.
“You can’t fault them for casting a wide net,” said Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a former state attorney general. “You want to do that. I’d be more worried if it looked they weren’t doing anything.”
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said it would be unrealistic to try to keep a person in custody a secret.
“Everybody’s on edge and when you feel like you’ve got somebody, it’s going to get out anyway,” said Senator Lindsey Graham. “Unfortunately in these matters, things like that happen. I just want to find the guy.”
Globe staff writer Alexa Gagosz contributed to this report.
Tal Kopan can be reached at tal.kopan@globe.com. Follow her @talkopan. Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at jim.puzzanghera@globe.com. Follow him @JimPuzzanghera.
