The Toll Gate Robo Titans faced challenges during their first qualifier at Wheeler School in Providence on December 13, 2025. The event was interrupted when teams went into lockdown after a shooting in Brown University during the last stages of the event.

The Robo Titans arrived around 7:00 a.m., and checked in with officials passing inspection and were assigned a workstation. The team completed their judges’ interview and received a moderate score. They then competed in the preliminary matches winning four out of five. After their first four victories, the Robo Titans ranked first overall but dropped to sixth after their final match. Despite the loss they still had the highest score at the competition and advanced to the finals and teamed up with a group from Wheeler School. But their progress was cut short during the second round of finals around 4:00 p.m.

The competition halted around 4p.m., due to a shooting in Brown University, which was just down the street from the venue. Just before the Robo Titans’ next match, alarms and flashing lights started as officials secured all entrances and exits. An announcement over the intercom informed everyone about the nearby incident, and that the building would go into shelter in place. Teams were told to stay at their workstations on the far side of the building and to be silent as the lights were turned off.

Build team Member Brandon Parkinson mentions “We exceeded not only our own expectations but those of others at the competition.” Head Coach Mr. Ricci commented on the lockdown, “Once the shelter in place was announced, the team followed instructions and handled the situation responsibly.” CNC operator, Jackson Kavanaugh said the interruption likely won’t slow the team down and said, “Not being able to finish the competition was frustrating, but it has only served to motivate us for future events.”

The shelter in place lasted around four hours. Afterwards the Robo Titans and other teams were escorted out of the building. Due to the sudden evacuation, they had to leave much of their equipment behind, including their robot. The head coach returned later when the building reopened to get the robot and other materials.

Despite the disruption, the Robo Titans qualified for the state championship based on their strong performance earlier in the competition. School administrators and officials from the FIRST Tech Challenge community provided support and made sure all safety procedures were properly followed during the incident.