Two Victims Named in the Ivy League School Incident as Authorities Continue Search for Killer.
Two students who died in the recent mass shooting at Brown University were honored at the start of the week – while an intensive search for their assailant continued following the release by local law enforcement of the sole person detained in connection in the case.
Tributes for Ella Cook
Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama, was remembered as “a wonderful, steady, devout, shining presence”, according to the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, which paid tribute to her at a gathering on Sunday.
Her role included vice-president of Brown’s chapter of College Republicans of America, the group said. The White House press secretary also expressed sympathies publicly, saying in part: “It's indescribable. Keeping in mind her kin and peers, above all her mom and dad.”
MukhammadAziz Umurzokov
The other deceased individual was an Uzbek national named MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, from Uzbekistan in his initial year at the renowned school, according to relatives.
Umurzokov’s identity was verified by the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“He possessed remarkable kindness, humor, and intelligence. His ambitions were lofty of becoming a neurosurgeon and helping people,” Samira Umurzokova, his sister said in a memorial statement.
The Shooting Incident
An additional nine individuals were wounded in the violent event in the engineering building of Brown’s grounds in Providence, during the school’s final exam period.
Law enforcement reported late Sunday that a man aged 24 arrested in a raid at a lodging about 17 miles from the campus earlier in the day was released from custody.
“There is a killer at large,” said Rhode Island’s attorney general, Peter Neronha.
He added, “Investigations can lead one way, and then you must reassess and head another way, and that is the current situation over the last 24 hours or so.”
Ongoing Concerns
The city's mayor, Brett Smiley, acknowledged: “We know that this is likely to cause new worry for our city”.
The assailant discharged a weapon inside a classroom in the building on Saturday afternoon, shooting over four dozen bullets from a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official reported to the news agency.
Police that entered the inn seized two handguns and two loaded 30-round magazines when the individual was arrested, as was reported.
Those Hurt
Among those wounded, one pupil was released from the hospital, said the university president, Christina Paxson. Seven others were in grave but unchanging health, and another was critically ill, officials reported on Sunday.
An educational institution, a private academy in North Carolina, said a former student, Kendall Turner, was in the group of seriously hurt victims.
More Condolences
Cook was remembered at a religious service in Birmingham on Sunday. A reverend stated, “She shone as a remarkable, stable, devout beacon not only during her upbringing... but at Brown University she was a shining example in that institution as well.”
Martin Bertao, Martin Bertao, shared a message from the organization. “She was famed for her fearless, heroic, and gentle spirit as she served her chapter and fellow classmates,” he said.
The US ambassador, Jonathan Henick, said he was “deeply saddened” by the passing of Umurzokov in a message. “Our profound condolences go out to the Umurzokov family, friends, and peers and lament the passing of his potential.”
Broader Statistics
The weekend's murders at Brown, the nation’s seventh-oldest higher education institution with about 7,300 undergraduate and three thousand graduate students, occurred during one of at least nearly 400 mass shootings recorded nationally so far in 2025, according to records. The following Monday was the 349th day of the year.
