A community in Rhode Island is mourning after a deadly mass shooting at the prestigious Brown University campus in Providence. The attack, which occurred on Saturday 14 December 2025, claimed the lives of two students and left nine others wounded, sparking a major police investigation and a continued manhunt for the killer.
Victims Remembered as Manhunt Intensifies
The two students who lost their lives have been identified as Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, a first-year student from Uzbekistan. Cook, who served as vice-president of Brown's chapter of the College Republicans of America, was described by her Birmingham church as "an incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light". White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered condolences on social media.
Umurzokov, an aspiring neurosurgeon, was remembered by his sister as "incredibly kind, funny, and smart". The US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Jonathan Henick, expressed deep sadness at the loss of the young student's "bright future".
Chaos on Campus and a Shifting Investigation
The shooting erupted on Saturday afternoon inside a classroom in the university's engineering building, during the final exam period. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the gunman fired more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun.
In a significant development, Rhode Island authorities announced late on Sunday that a 24-year-old man, arrested in a raid at a hotel 17 miles from campus, had been released. "We have a murderer out there," stated Attorney General Peter Neronha, explaining that evidence initially pointing to the detained individual now pointed "in a different direction". During the hotel raid, police recovered two handguns and two loaded 30-round magazines.
Community in Mourning and National Context
Of the nine people injured, one student has been released from hospital. Seven remain in a critical but stable condition, with one in critical condition. Among the critically wounded is Kendall Turner, a recent graduate of a school in North Carolina.
The tragedy at Brown, one of America's oldest universities, is one of at least 392 mass shootings recorded in the United States in 2025 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged the "fresh anxiety" the ongoing investigation causes for the community, which gathered for a vigil on 14 December.
As the search for the perpetrator continues, the campus and the city of Providence are left grappling with grief and questions, while tributes pour in for the promising young lives cut short.
