Two Victims Revealed in Brown University Incident as Police Persist in Search for Gunman.
The pair of scholars who were killed in Saturday’s mass shooting in Providence were being remembered Monday – as a manhunt for their killer continued following the freeing by Rhode Island officials of the only individual detained in connection in the case.
Honoring a Lost Student
The student Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, was remembered as “an amazing, stable, pious, radiant soul”, per the Birmingham's Cathedral Church of the Advent, which offered condolences for her at a gathering on Sunday.
Cook was the vice-presidency of Brown’s branch of College Republicans of America, according to the organization. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also expressed condolences publicly, stating: “It's indescribable. Thinking of her kin and peers, above all her mom and dad.”
The Second Victim
The second fatality was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov from Uzbekistan, an Uzbek national in his initial year at the renowned school, family members said.
The victim's identification was verified by Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry.
“He possessed remarkable kindness, humor, and intelligence. He harbored grand aspirations of pursuing a career in neurosurgery and aiding others,” his sister, Samira Umurzokova said in a memorial statement.
Details of the Attack
An additional nine individuals were hurt in Saturday’s attack in the engineering department of Brown’s grounds in Providence, during the school’s final exam period.
Law enforcement reported late Sunday that a 24-year-old male detained in a raid at a Hampton Inn about 17 miles from the scene earlier in the day was being released.
“A perpetrator remains free,” said the state's top prosecutor, Peter Neronha.
Neronha explained, “Sometimes you head in one direction, and then you must reassess and pursue a different angle, and this is precisely what occurred over the last approximately one day.”
Ongoing Concerns
The city's mayor, Brett Smiley, noted: “We know that this is likely to cause renewed concern for our public”.
The assailant began shooting inside a room in the engineering building on Saturday, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun, a police source told the news agency.
Officers that entered the inn recovered two firearms and two ammunition clips when the person of interest was arrested, the news agency reported.
Condition of the Injured
Of the nine hurt, one pupil was discharged from care, mentioned Brown’s president, Christina Paxson. Seven more were in critical but stable condition, and one remained in critical care, authorities stated on Sunday.
An educational institution, a private academy in Durham, North Carolina, said a recent graduate, Kendall Turner, was one of the critically injured.
More Condolences
Cook was remembered at a memorial in Birmingham on Sunday. A pastor commented, “She was an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light not only here growing up... but at the university she was an incredible light in that institution as well.”
A group leader, Martin Bertao, shared a message from the group. “Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she aided her club and fellow classmates,” he said.
An American diplomat, Jonathan Henick, said he was “deeply saddened” by the student's death in a tribute. “We offer our heartfelt sympathies to Mr Umurzokov’s family, loved ones, and schoolmates and lament the passing of his promising future.”
Broader Statistics
The fatal shooting at Brown, the nation’s seventh-oldest university with about 7,300 undergraduate and three thousand graduate students, happened during one of at least 392 mass shootings reported in the US so far in 2025, according to statistics. That Monday marked the 349th day of the year.