The Rhode Island community gathered on Sunday for a poignant vigil in memory of two Brown University students who were tragically murdered on Saturday afternoon.

Suspect Detained in Brown University Shooting; Incident Unfolded in Judaic Studies Classroom

In addition to the two fatalities, nine other students sustained injuries. Nineteen-year-old Ella Cook from Mountain Brook, AL, and 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov from Midlothian, VA, were identified as the deceased. News of Cook’s death surfaced first, confirmed by Rev. Craig Smalley at her family church, the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.

Cook held the position of vice president within the Brown Republican Club. At an institution like Brown, known for its progressive atmosphere, her leadership role was particularly noteworthy. In 2024, tensions on campus escalated with pro-Hamas/Palestine protests led by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Although Brown initially suspended the group, it was reinstated in October. Cook’s efforts aimed to motivate fellow conservatives amidst such a challenging environment, drawing widespread condolences from Alabama’s Republican officials, including Vice President JD Vance.

The second victim, identified on Monday, was Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. A recent graduate from Midlothian High School in Virginia, he aspired to become a neurosurgeon and chose Brown University for its promising scholarship opportunities.

A memorial is growing outside the main gate at Brown University. pic.twitter.com/XwI8JMmoWT

— WPRI 12 (@wpri12) December 15, 2025

‘Person of Interest’ Detained in Brown Shooting; Attack Occurred in Classroom of Judaic Studies Professor

While nine other students were injured, the two who lost their lives have been identified: Nineteen-year-old Ella Cook of Mountain Brook, AL, and 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Midlothian, VA. Cook’s identity was leaked first, confirmed through remarks by the Rev. Craig Smalley at Cathedral Church of the Advent, Cook’s family church in Birmingham. 

Her death was confirmed during a Sunday morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, where church leaders told congregants that Cook was among those killed in the shooting.

In remarks shared during the service, church officials remembered Cook as “an incredibly grounded, faithful, bright light,” noting her longtime involvement at the church and her impact on those around her.

“She was an incredible light, not only here growing up at the Advent in the myriad ways in which she served faithfully and encouraged those around her,” the church said, “but at Brown University as well.”

NEW: @BrownUniversity student Ella Cook identified as one of the two victims in Saturday’s shooting.

The news was announced this AM by Rev. Craig Smalley of Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham, AL where her family attends. @7News @spann pic.twitter.com/am6Vhcv4Gi

— Stephen Quinn (@stephenquinntv) December 15, 2025

Cook was the vice president of the Brown Republican Club. Like its Ivy League counterparts, Brown is a breeding ground of leftism, so for a young woman to be willing to take on such a leadership role under this extreme pressure is rare. In 2024, the pro-Hamas/Palestine protests that erupted on the Brown campus were fueled by a campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Brown suspended the group, but in October, removed the suspension and reinstated it. So, this was the atmosphere Cook chose to take on in order to encourage fellow conservatives to stand up and be counted. Because of the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, as well as her conservative leanings, there have been outpourings of condolences from Republicans in Alabama’s state and federal government, including Vice President JD Vance.

This beautiful young girl was one of the murdered students at Brown University. It takes special courage to lead an organization of conservatives on a left wing campus, and I am very sorry our country has lost one of its bright young stars.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord. https://t.co/icGrwJAAlX

— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 15, 2025

The second victim was identified on Monday. Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov was an aspiring neurosurgeon, and had just graduated from Midlothian High School in Virginia and chose Brown because of its generous scholarship offerings. 

He was described as “gentle” and “extroverted” who worked at Wawa over the summer to purchase a new laptop ahead of the school year, his siblings Rukhsora Umurzokova, 22, and Samara Umurzokova, 15, told the outlet. 

The Umurzokov family immigrated from Uzbekistan in 2011 and became naturalized citizens soon after. 

Mr. Umurzokov chose Brown, his sisters said,  because the financial aid package they offered would be the least burden on his parents. To get a new laptop, they added, he worked at a Wawa over the summer.

A high school friend, Maddox Johnson, said they had moved to the United States  so that Mr. Umurzokov could receive specialized care for a medical condition when he was a child. His sisters said the condition was Chiari malformation, a condition where spinal fluid puts pressure on the brain and spinal cord.

Mr. Johnson, 19, said his friend was intent on becoming a neurosurgeon to help children the way doctors once helped him. The two became close beginning in their sophomore year, he said.

He remembered how Mr. Umurzokov was a dedicated student, at one point lobbying administrators at Midlothian High School to provide a tougher physics class after he mastered the highest-level one it offered. (His sisters said he took more than a dozen Advanced Placement classes while at the school.)

Umurzokov was a legal immigrant who entered this country the right way, followed the law, and after naturalization, dreamed of giving back to the country that gave much to him. One of his sisters wrote on the Go Fund Me set up for the family:

He was incredibly kind, funny, and smart. He had big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and helping people. He continues to be my family’s biggest role model in all aspects. He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew. Our family is incredibly devastated by this loss.

I am filled with rage and sadness to learn that our Brown College Republicans VP, Ella Cook, has been identified as one of the victims from the attack. I’m told she was allegedly targeted for her conservative beliefs, hunted, and killed in cold blood. Losing Charlie three months ago rocked our worlds. The entire College Republicans community is weeping this evening learning of the news. This was an attack on our family.

There’s a lot of information flying around right now. This was the report I received that came from students immediately after the news broke. The story is evolving. We are waiting for the official police report and receiving updates from the chapter. Justice for Ella 🇺🇸

— William Branson Donahue (@realwilldonahue) December 15, 2025

There’s a lot of information flying around right now. This was the report I received that came from students immediately after the news broke. The story is evolving. We are waiting for the official police report and receiving updates from the chapter. Justice for Ella 

And justice for Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov as well. There is no report of his religious or political leanings, and really, it should not matter. The bright futures for these two young people, the contributions they would have continued to make to produce a better world, have now been snuffed out. Whether this violence was targeted directly toward them or a random act of violence, it will remain an American tragedy.

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