Two Victims Named in the Ivy League School Attack as Authorities Persist in Search for Killer.
Both young individuals who lost their lives in Saturday’s mass shooting on the university campus had tributes paid to them on Monday – amid a widespread hunt for their shooter persisted following the release by local law enforcement of the sole person of interest in the case.
Remembering Ella Cook
The student Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, was described as “an incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light”, according to the Advent Cathedral in Birmingham, which paid tribute to her at a ceremony on Sunday.
Cook was vice-president of Brown’s branch of the campus GOP group, according to the organization. Karoline Leavitt also expressed words of sorrow online, stating: “There are no words. Thinking of her family and friends, above all her mom and dad.”
The Second Victim
The other deceased individual was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, a citizen of Uzbekistan in his first year of studies at the renowned school, family members said.
The victim's identification was officially acknowledged by the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“He possessed remarkable kindness, humor, and intelligence. He had big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and assisting patients,” his sister, Samira Umurzokova said in a online post.
What Happened
An additional nine individuals were wounded in the weekend shooting in the engineering department of Brown’s campus in Providence, during the institution's end-of-term tests.
Law enforcement reported by the end of Sunday that a 24-year-old male detained in a search at a lodging about approximately 17 miles from the campus earlier in the day was released from custody.
“We have a murderer out there,” stated the state's top prosecutor, Peter Neronha.
Neronha explained, “Occasionally a probe goes down a path, and then you have to regroup and head another way, and that’s exactly what has happened over the last approximately one day.”
Community Anxiety
The city's mayor, Brett Smiley, acknowledged: “It is expected to provoke new worry for our city”.
The gunman discharged a weapon inside a lecture hall in the engineering facility on over the weekend, shooting over four dozen bullets from a 9mm handgun, a police source informed the media outlet.
Police that searched the lodging recovered two firearms and magazines when the suspect was taken into custody, according to reports.
The Wounded Victims
Regarding the nine injured, one pupil was allowed to go home, said Christina Paxson, Christina Paxson. Seven more were in critical but stable condition, and one was in critical condition, authorities stated on Sunday.
An educational institution, a private K-12 school in Durham, 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 pastor commented, “She was an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light not only in her youth... but at Brown University she was a radiant presence in that particular place as well.”
The president of College Republicans, Martin Bertao, released remarks from the group. “She was famed 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 message. “We extend our sincere condolences to his relatives, friends, and fellow students and mourn the loss of his promising future.”
Wider Picture
Saturday’s killings at Brown, the country's seventh most historic higher education institution with about 7,300 undergraduate and three thousand graduate students, took place amid one of at least 392 mass shootings reported in the US so far in 2025, according to data. Monday was the 349th day of the year.