A second life was tragically cut short in the deadly shooting at Brown University, sending shockwaves through the academic community just days before Christmas. The victim has been identified as MuhammadAziz Umurzakov, a bright student with a profound dream of becoming a surgeon.
The Attack That Shattered Campus Peace
The violence erupted at around 4 pm local time on Saturday inside a classroom at the university's engineering building in Rhode Island. The campus was in the midst of final exams when the assailant opened fire, creating a scene of panic and chaos among students and faculty members.
An economics professor, Rachel Friedberg, provided a chilling account to local media. She revealed that the attack happened during a review session conducted by her teaching assistant. According to the assistant, the shooter entered through the doors, yelled something, and immediately began shooting. "Students started to scramble to try to get away from the shooter," Professor Friedberg recounted.
Search for the Gunman Intensifies
Law enforcement's investigation has seen twists. Initially, police detained a 24-year-old person of interest named Benjamin Erickson from Wisconsin on Sunday. However, he was later released as evidence pointed investigators in a new direction.
Authorities are now hunting for a male suspect captured on CCTV footage wearing black clothing with his face covered. Despite extensive searches, no weapon has been recovered from the scene so far. The shooting left two students dead and nine others wounded.
Victims Remembered, Community Mourns
The two students killed were MuhammadAziz Umurzakov, an Uzbek national, and Ella Cook. US Vice President JD Vance confirmed the identification of Umurzakov in a post on X. He described the young man as brilliant and shared his surgical aspirations, adding, "May God rest the soul of MuhammadAziz Umurzakov." The MAGA leader also asked for prayers for everyone affected by the "terrible tragedy, right before Christmas."
Tributes poured in for both students. The College Republicans of America remembered Ella Cook for her "bold, brave and kind heart." Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Uzbekistan expressed being "deeply saddened" by Umurzakov's death and offered condolences to his grieving family.
In response to the crisis, Brown University assured the community that there was no immediate threat and took the step of cancelling all remaining in-person exams and classes. This tragic incident marks a grim statistic, becoming the 389th mass shooting in the United States this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
