Two Victims Named in the Providence Campus Attack as Law Enforcement Persist in Hunt for Killer.
Two students who lost their lives in Saturday’s tragic incident in Providence were honored at the start of the week – while an intensive search for their assailant persisted following the release by local law enforcement of the single suspect detained in connection in the case.
Honoring a Lost Student
Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, was described as “an amazing, stable, pious, radiant soul”, according to the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, which offered condolences for her at a ceremony on Sunday.
Her role included second-in-command of Brown’s branch of the College Republicans organization, the group said. Karoline Leavitt also expressed words of sorrow publicly, stating: “There are no words. Thinking of her kin and peers, above all her mom and dad.”
MukhammadAziz Umurzokov
The other person killed was an Uzbek national named MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an Uzbek national in his freshman year at the prestigious university, according to relatives.
Umurzokov’s identity was confirmed by the foreign office of Uzbekistan.
“He was incredibly kind, funny, and smart. His ambitions were lofty of entering the field of neurosurgery and aiding others,” his sister, Samira Umurzokova said in a online post.
Details of the Attack
Nine more persons were injured in the weekend shooting in the engineering department of Brown’s grounds in Providence, during the university's examination week.
Officials stated late Sunday that a 24-year-old male taken into custody in a search at a hotel about approximately 17 miles from the scene earlier in the day was set to be freed.
“A perpetrator remains free,” stated the state's top prosecutor, Peter Neronha.
Neronha explained, “Sometimes you head in one direction, and then you need to change course and go in another, and that’s exactly what has happened over the last day or so.”
Public Fear
Brett Smiley, Brett Smiley, admitted: “This will probably generate renewed concern for our public”.
The shooter opened fire inside a room in the engineering facility on Saturday, shooting over four dozen bullets from a handgun, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press.
Law enforcement that entered the lodging recovered two firearms and two ammunition clips when the individual was detained, the news agency reported.
Those Hurt
Among those wounded, one pupil was allowed to go home, mentioned Christina Paxson, Christina Paxson. Seven others were in critical but stable condition, and one remained in critical care, police said on Sunday.
Durham Academy, a independent school in North Carolina, said Kendall Turner, Kendall Turner, was among those critically wounded.
Additional Memorials
Cook was remembered at a religious service in Birmingham on Sunday. A pastor commented, “Her presence was a wonderful, steady, pious glow not only in her youth... but at Brown University she was a radiant presence in that specific location as well.”
Martin Bertao, Martin Bertao, released remarks from the organization. “Ella was recognized 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 “extremely sorrowful” by Umurzokov’s death in a statement. “We extend our sincere condolences to his relatives, companions, and schoolmates and lament the passing of his potential.”
Broader Statistics
The fatal shooting at Brown, the seventh oldest in the US higher education institution with about thousands of bachelor's and three thousand graduate students, took place amid one of at least nearly 400 mass shootings reported in the US so far in 2025, according to data. That Monday marked the 349th day of the year.