The Two Fatalities Named in Brown University Incident as Police Continue Manhunt for Perpetrator.
Two students who lost their lives in Saturday’s tragic incident at Brown University were honored at the start of the week – while an intensive search for their killer carried on following the release by Rhode Island officials of the only individual of interest in the case.
Honoring a Lost Student
The young woman Ella Cook, a second-year scholar from Alabama, was remembered as “an amazing, stable, pious, radiant soul”, according to the Birmingham's Cathedral Church of the Advent, which honored her memory at a ceremony on Sunday.
She served as the vice-presidency of Brown’s chapter of the campus GOP group, according to the organization. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also posted condolences publicly, saying in part: “There are no words. Thinking of her family and friends, particularly her mother and father.”
An International Student
The other deceased individual was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an Uzbek national in his first year of studies at the prestigious university, family members said.
Umurzokov’s identity was officially acknowledged by the foreign office of Uzbekistan.
“He possessed remarkable kindness, humor, and intelligence. He harbored grand aspirations of pursuing a career in neurosurgery and assisting patients,” his sister, Samira Umurzokova said in a online post.
Details of the Attack
Nine other people were wounded in the weekend shooting in the engineering building of Brown’s university in Providence, during the school’s final exam period.
Authorities said by the end of Sunday that a man aged 24 taken into custody in a search at a Hampton Inn about approximately 17 miles from the university earlier in the day was released from custody.
“A perpetrator remains free,” stated the state's top prosecutor, Peter Neronha.
He continued, “Investigations can lead one way, and then you have to regroup and go in another, and this is precisely what occurred over the last approximately one day.”
Community Anxiety
Brett Smiley, Brett Smiley, admitted: “We know that this is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our public”.
The assailant opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building on over the weekend, shooting over four dozen bullets from a handgun, a law enforcement official reported to the media outlet.
Law enforcement that raided the inn seized two handguns and two loaded 30-round magazines when the suspect was arrested, according to reports.
Condition of the Injured
Regarding the nine injured, a single scholar was allowed to go home, said Brown’s president, Christina Paxson. Seven more were in critical but stable condition, and one remained in critical care, officials reported on Sunday.
An educational institution, a private academy in North Carolina, said Kendall Turner, Kendall Turner, was in the group of seriously hurt victims.
Further Tributes
Cook was honored at a church service in Birmingham on Sunday. A reverend stated, “She shone as a remarkable, stable, devout beacon not only here growing up... but at Brown she was an incredible light in that specific location as well.”
Martin Bertao, Martin Bertao, released remarks from the club. “Ella was known for her courageous, valiant, and compassionate nature as she served her chapter and peers,” he said.
The US ambassador, Jonathan Henick, said he was “extremely sorrowful” by Umurzokov’s death in a message. “We offer our heartfelt sympathies to the Umurzokov family, friends, and schoolmates and grieve for of his potential.”
Broader Statistics
The weekend's murders at Brown, the nation’s seventh-oldest college with about 7,300 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students, took place amid one of at least nearly 400 mass shootings recorded nationally so far in 2025, according to records. Monday was the 349th day of the year.