Campus Horror: Brown Shooting Leaves 2 Dead

Revolvers and bullets on a dark surface.

A deadly campus shooting at Brown University has left two students dead and nine wounded, while authorities release a person of interest and continue hunting for the armed suspect who remains at large.

Story Snapshot

Two students killed, nine wounded during economics exam review at Brown University
Person of interest released as manhunt continues for handgun-wielding suspect
Attack occurred in unlocked academic building during finals week
Victims identified as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov

Deadly Attack During Finals Week

On December 13, 2025, at approximately 4:05 p.m., a gunman opened fire in Room 166 of Brown University’s Barus and Holley Building during a final exam review session. The attack killed two students and wounded nine others who were attending an introductory economics class review led by a teaching assistant. The shooter used a handgun and escaped through the Hope Street side of the building, which houses the School of Engineering and physics department.

Victims and Hospital Response

The deceased victims were identified as Ella Cook, a Brown student and parishioner at Cathedral Church of the Advent, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a recent Midlothian High School graduate. All nine wounded students were transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where as of December 14 at midnight, one remained in critical condition, six were listed as critical-stable, and two were stable. The attack targeted students during one of the most stressful periods of the academic calendar.

Investigation and Manhunt Progress

Providence Police released video footage of the suspect on Hope Street and described him as a male wearing all black or dark gray clothing. University President Christina Paxson confirmed the student casualties and corrected initial erroneous reports about a suspect being in custody. A person of interest was detained but subsequently released as the manhunt continues. Police are requesting doorbell camera footage from local residents to aid in tracking the suspect’s movements.

Campus Security Failures Exposed

The incident highlights significant security vulnerabilities in university safety protocols during high-stress academic periods. The Barus and Holley Building was unlocked and accessible during the review session, allowing the gunman easy entry to a lecture hall with 186-seat capacity filled with students. This represents a failure to secure academic spaces during finals week when students are most vulnerable and concentrated in predictable locations for extended periods.

Brown University Public Safety issued the first active shooter alert at 4:22 p.m., seventeen minutes after the shooting began. A subsequent alert about gunfire near Governor Street was issued at 5:27 p.m. but retracted at 6:10 p.m. as unfounded. These delayed and erroneous alerts demonstrate the chaos that ensued and raise questions about the university’s emergency response capabilities when students’ lives hang in the balance.