2 Brown University students killed in campus shooting identified

By Christopher Shea

he vice president of the College Republicans from Alabama and an aspiring neurosurgeon originally from Uzbekistan have been identified as the two Brown University students killed in Saturday’s mass shooting on campus.

Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore, was described by her local church as a “bright light” who was always engaged in her community. Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, a freshman, who graduated from high school in Virginia, is recalled by his family as “incredibly kind, funny, and smart.”

News of Cook’s death was shared during Sunday morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Many of you heard about the tragedy, which happened at Brown University — and sadly, tragically, one of those people is one of our parishioners,” the Most Rev. Craig Smalley told parishioners in the service recorded on Facebook. https://scdailygazette.com/2025/12/13/repub/the-unthinkable-has-happened-2-killed-eight-injured-in-mass-shooting-on-brown-university-campus/embed/#?secret=Wb9NdjiNoz#?secret=QfNaVKl8jD

Umurzokov’s death was confirmed in a statement issued by United States Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick. 

“We extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Umurzokov’s family, friends, and fellow students and mourn the loss of his bright future,” Henick wrote.

A GoFundMe account for Umurzokov’s family had raised more than $300,000 as of about 2:30 p.m. Monday. More than 6,800 people had donated. The family’s fundraiser has been verified by GoFundMe’s Trust & Safety team on its centralized hub for fundraisers related to the shooting.

Jack DiPrimio, a Brown graduate student studying public affairs, mentored Umurzokov as he adjusted to college life. In a message to Rhode Island Current, he said, “the world lost a treasure.”

“Please don’t think of him only as a victim,” DiPrimio said. “He was a passionate, intellectually-gifted, and curious individual. He was at ease talking to new people and he was very kind. He looked forward to hanging out with his friends after finals. He was passionate about science and politics, he was eager to change the world in some way.”

Online tributes to Cook and Umurzokov began to pour in Sunday, even as Providence police and Brown University have yet to officially confirm the identities of any of the 11 victims shot inside the Barus and Holley engineering building. Cook and Umurzokov were already dead when first responders arrived, and nine others were wounded. Eight students remain hospitalized at Rhode Island Hospital, including one still listed in critical condition.

The shooting happened in a classroom where a review was taking place for an economics final, university President Christina Paxson told reporters Sunday morning. The Providence Fire Department was first alerted about the shooting at 4:05 p.m.

Cook’s LinkedIn profile shows she worked as an ice cream server at a creamery in her hometown in the summer of 2024 and as a program assistant for Oxbridge Academic Programs in New York City from June through July of 2025.

Republican U.S Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama posted her condolences in a statement to X Monday.

“There are no words that can ease the pain Ella’s family and friends are enduring right now. Her life was taken too soon,” the statement said. “During this unimaginable time, I am deeply grateful to local, state and federal law enforcement officials who continue to work to ensure justice is served.”

Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama also extended his condolences on social media.

“I am heartbroken to hear that Mountain Brook’s Ella Cook was among those killed over the weekend at Brown University,” Tuberville said in the statement. “Our hearts and our prayers are with the Cook family and everyone impacted by this senseless killing.”

Cook served as the vice president of The Republican Club of Brown University. The organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates,” Martin Bertao, president of the College Republicans of America, posted to X Sunday night. “Our prayers are with her family, our Brown CR’s, and the entirety of the campus as they heal from this tragedy.”

Umurzokov’s family are naturalized U.S. citizens from Uzbekistan now living in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, where his mother is a nurse and father owns a trucking company and drives long-haul, the Washington Post reported. One of his sisters told the Washington Post that he had a condition as a child that required brain surgery and his long recovery inspired him to become a brain surgeon.

Umurzokov graduated from Midlothian High School in Chesterfield, Virginia. Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger posted to X she was “heartbroken” to learn of Umurzokov’s loss. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a post to X Monday morning he was praying for all victims in the shooting.

“​​We lift up their families, friends and communities in a prayer of comfort and peace,” Youngkin said.

Umurzokov “had big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and helping people,” according to the GoFundMe account set up by his sister Samira.

“He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew,” Samria Umurzokov wrote.

This story was originally produced by Rhode Island Current, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes SC Daily Gazette, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

Source: Open Newswire @ 2 Brown University students killed in campus shooting identified • SC Daily Gazette