Two Brown University Students Killed

Two Brown Students Killed as Gun Violence Increases and Fear and Anxiety Grip

American Colleges

By Reema Elrefaie, December 15, 2025 usmuslims.com/Boston

PROVIDENCE — Two Brown University students were killed in a shooting on Saturday December 13. Nine others were injured after a shooting took place inside an engineering building on campus. The incident shocked students, faculty, and families and raised even more concerns about safety on college campuses across the country.

New England was considered one of the safest areas in the country, but now even those who felt safe in the Northeast had a change of heart. The students who passed away from their injuries were 19-year-old sophomore Ella Cook and 18-year-old freshman Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. Ella Cook was from Mountain Brook,

Alabama, and served as vice president of the Brown College Republicans. Cook’s friends described her as a leader who shared her faith with others and loved music.

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov was the second victim of the shooting. He was originally from Uzbekistan and later lived in Virginia; He hoped to become a neurosurgeon. His friends described him to be a hardworking and kind friend and student who was deeply committed to his education.

The Brown University shooting started inside the Barus and Holley engineering building where students were studying for their upcoming final exams. Many students heard gunshots and barricaded themselves in classrooms or hid under desks. Students stayed hidden until police confirmed the area was free from any danger. In addition to the two victims who lost their lives, nine other students were transported to the hospital with injuries; The students were in critical but stable condition.

Police are still searching for the suspect behind the violent shooting. Authorities released footage showing a person of interest as part of the search. One person was detained and later released after authorities determined evidence was minimal and not enough to charge them.

For many students, especially at Brown and others across the nation, this shooting has made it more difficult to feel safe on campus. Colleges are meant to be places where students are given the opportunity and safety to focus on learning and working towards their goals and futures. The escalating number of shootings and violence across the country has left students and families feeling anxious and fearful. Experts even say that recurrent exposure to gun violence, whether through the news, social media, or directly, can have serious effects on students’ mental health.

Brown University has plans to hold memorial services and create more room for counseling and support for both students and staff. As students, families and communities mourn, the tragedy in Providence has opened up bigger discussionssurrounding gun violence, campus security and what else can be done to protect students across the country.

The shooting at Brown is a reminder of how gun violence continues to affect communities across the United States, even where it may be the least expected. Our hearts are with those who have lost family, friends, and peers. We are all daughters and son, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters and we all share the responsibility of