Both Deceased Students Identified in the Ivy League School Shooting as Police Continue Manhunt for Gunman.
Two students who were killed in the weekend's mass shooting on the university campus had tributes paid to them on Monday – amid a widespread hunt for their assailant carried on following the freeing by local law enforcement of the only individual detained in connection in the case.
Tributes for Ella Cook
The young woman Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, was called “an incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light”, according to the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, which paid tribute to her at a ceremony on Sunday.
Her role included the vice-presidency of Brown’s chapter of College Republicans of America, according to the organization. Karoline Leavitt also expressed words of sorrow on social media, remarking: “There are no words. Keeping in mind her loved ones and companions, particularly her mother and father.”
An International Student
The second fatality was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, from Uzbekistan in his freshman year at the prestigious university, his family confirmed.
His name was verified by the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“He was incredibly kind, funny, and smart. He harbored grand aspirations of pursuing a career in neurosurgery and helping people,” his sister, Samira Umurzokova said in a tribute.
The Shooting Incident
Nine other people were injured in Saturday’s attack in the engineering department of Brown’s campus in Providence, during the university's examination week.
Law enforcement reported on Sunday evening that a 24-year-man detained in a raid at a hotel about 17 miles from the scene earlier in the day was being released.
“There is a killer at large,” declared the state's top prosecutor, Peter Neronha.
He added, “Sometimes you head in one direction, and then you need to change course and pursue a different angle, and that is the current situation over the last day or so.”
Public Fear
Brett Smiley, Brett Smiley, acknowledged: “It is expected to provoke renewed concern for our public”.
The shooter began shooting inside a classroom in the engineering building on Saturday, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9mm pistol, a police source informed the media outlet.
Officers that raided the hotel seized two handguns and two loaded 30-round magazines when the suspect was arrested, according to reports.
Those Hurt
Regarding the nine injured, a single scholar was discharged from care, stated Christina Paxson, Christina Paxson. An additional seven were in critical but stable condition, and one remained in critical care, officials reported on Sunday.
Durham Academy, a independent school in the city of Durham, said Kendall Turner, Kendall Turner, was among those critically wounded.
Additional Memorials
Tributes were paid to Cook at a religious service in Birmingham on Sunday. A reverend stated, “She was an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light not only in her youth... but at Brown she was a shining example in that institution as well.”
The president of College Republicans, Martin Bertao, posted a statement from the club. “She was famed for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she worked for her branch and peers,” he said.
The US ambassador, Jonathan Henick, said he was “deeply saddened” by the student's death in a statement. “Our profound condolences go out to the Umurzokov family, friends, and peers and mourn the loss of his bright future.”
Broader Statistics
The weekend's murders at Brown, the nation’s seventh-oldest higher education institution with about thousands of bachelor's and postgraduate students, occurred during one of at least 392 shooting incidents documented across the United States so far in 2025, according to statistics. That Monday marked the 349th day of the year.