What we know about the Brown University students killed in shooting
- - What we know about the Brown University students killed in shooting
Minyvonne BurkeDecember 16, 2025 at 1:33 AM
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The two Brown University students killed in a mass shooting Saturday were identified as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook.
Umurzokov was from Uzbekistan in central Asia and “had a bright future” ahead of him, his aunt Karina Gabit said.
She described him as "very kind" and smart. She said he wanted to be a neurosurgeon after he underwent brain surgery when he was 10.
The Uzbekistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Umurzokov’s death and said in a translated Telegram post: "The loss of innocent lives as a result of this tragedy is a heavy loss for all of us."
Ella Cook and MohammadAziz Umurzokov. (LinkedIn; American Uzbekistan Assn. via Instagram )
The American Uzbekistan Association said he was "known for his sharp intellect, kind heart and quiet willingness to help anyone in need."
"He carried himself with humility and compassion, earning the respect and affection of those around him. His curiosity, discipline, and generosity reflected both his character and the values of the community that raised him," the organization said in a statement on Instagram.
"He had a future filled with promise, and his life was cut short far too soon. His passing has left an immeasurable void in the hearts of his family, friends, classmates, and the broader Uzbek American community."
Cook, 19, from Birmingham, Alabama, was remembered by her church there as “an incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light“ who encouraged those around her.
“Not only here, growing up here at the Advent and myriad ways in which she served faithfully and the ways she encouraged and lift up those around her, but at Brown University, she was an incredible light in that particular place as well,” the priest at Cathedral Church of the Advent said during a Sunday service.
“Pray for the Cooks,” he said.
Cook was the vice president of the College Republicans group at the university in Providence, Rhode Island.
“Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates. Our prayers are with her family, our Brown’s CR’s, and the entire entirety of the campus as they heal from this tragedy,” Martin Bertao, the president of College Republicans of America, said in a statement on Instagram.
The organization’s chairman, Will Donahue, said he was angry about the shooting.
“The entire College Republicans community is weeping this evening learning of the news,” he said in a post on X.
The shooting unfolded in the engineering and physics building. Two people were killed, and nine others were wounded.
Brown student Kendall Turner was identified as one of the students in critical but stable condition. Turner graduated from Durham Academy this year.
"We hope for her continued strength and recovery," the school said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Kendall, her family, and all members of the Brown University community during this incredibly difficult time."
A person of interest was taken into custody but has been released, Brown University said in a Monday morning Facebook post. Officials said the evidence no longer supported holding him.
"To be clear, we’ve never stopped our investigation," Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said on "Good Morning America." "Providence police and our partners and state police, the FBI and others, have continuously run down leads and work this case beyond the person of interest who had been detained."
Source: “AOL Breaking”
