Brown Student Mustapha Kharbouch Draws Spotlight After Online Rumors, University Warns Against Speculation

Mustapha Kharbouch, a Palestinian-Lebanese Brown University student and former International Crisis Group intern, became the subject of intense online attention in mid-December 2025 after social media users circulated unverified claims linking him to the Brown campus shooting. Brown officials publicly cautioned against “speculation and conspiracies” and said such accusations can be dangerous, while authorities indicated there was no basis to treat him as a suspect.