Two Victims Revealed in the Ivy League School Attack as Police Persist in Manhunt for Gunman.
Two students who died in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University were honored at the start of the week – as a manhunt for their killer continued following the release by Rhode Island officials of the single suspect questioned in the case.
Honoring a Lost Student
The student Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, was called “a wonderful, steady, devout, shining presence”, according to the Advent Cathedral in Birmingham, which paid tribute to her at a gathering on Sunday.
Her role included second-in-command of Brown’s division of College Republicans of America, according to the organization. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also expressed sympathies publicly, stating: “There are no words. Keeping in mind her kin and peers, above all her mom and dad.”
An International Student
The second fatality was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov from Uzbekistan, a citizen of Uzbekistan in his freshman year at the prestigious university, family members said.
His name was officially acknowledged by Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry.
“He possessed remarkable kindness, humor, and intelligence. He had big dreams of pursuing a career in neurosurgery and aiding others,” his sibling Samira said in a online post.
What Happened
Nine other people were injured in the weekend shooting in the engineering department of Brown’s university in Providence, during the institution's end-of-term tests.
Authorities said by the end of Sunday that a 24-year-man arrested in a police operation at a hotel about 17 miles from the university earlier in the day was released from custody.
“There is a killer at large,” stated Rhode Island’s attorney general, Peter Neronha.
He added, “Investigations can lead one way, and then you need to change course and head another way, and this is precisely what occurred over the last 24 hours or so.”
Community Anxiety
Brett Smiley, Brett Smiley, noted: “We know that this is likely to cause new worry for our community”.
The gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building on over the weekend, firing more than 40 rounds from a handgun, a authority reported to the media outlet.
Officers that entered the lodging found two handguns and two ammunition clips when the person of interest was taken into custody, according to reports.
The Wounded Victims
Regarding the nine injured, a single scholar was allowed to go home, mentioned the university president, Christina Paxson. Seven others were in serious yet stable state, and one was in critical condition, officials reported on Sunday.
A private school, a private academy in North Carolina, said a recent graduate, Kendall Turner, was one of the critically injured.
Additional Memorials
Cook was remembered at a religious service in Birmingham on Sunday. A clergyman said, “She shone as a remarkable, stable, devout beacon not only during her upbringing... but at the university she was an incredible light in that particular place as well.”
Martin Bertao, Martin Bertao, posted a statement from the organization. “Ella was known for her fearless, heroic, and gentle spirit as she aided her club and peers,” he said.
An American diplomat, Jonathan Henick, said he was “profoundly grieved” by the passing of Umurzokov in a tribute. “We offer our heartfelt sympathies to his relatives, friends, and fellow students and lament the passing of his potential.”
Broader Statistics
The fatal shooting at Brown, the seventh oldest in the US university with about thousands of bachelor's and postgraduate students, occurred during one of at least 392 shooting incidents reported in the US so far in 2025, according to records. That Monday marked the 349th day of the year.
