New images released as search for Brown University shooter continues
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The two students who were killed, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook, were remembered as beloved family and community members.
What we know
- A manhunt is underway after two people were killed and nine others were wounded in a shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday.
- Officials released new photos and videos of a person of interest this evening. A man detained over the weekend was released because the evidence no longer supported holding him, officials said.
- One of the victims was Ella Cook, vice president of the Brown College Republicans chapter. The other was Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, from Uzbekistan, in central Asia.
- Officials have emphasized that the investigation is moving quickly, with evidence being collected by multiple agencies, but they are not yet confirming details that could compromise the case.
- Brown has canceled its remaining fall semester classes, and the shooting has reignited the debate over gun control and how to protect college students before and during mass shootings.
This liveblog has ended. Follow the latest updates here.
Brown shooting wasn't first time Trump administration has shared inaccurate information
The Trump administration’s public response to the mass shooting at Brown University was swift, but it included a major inaccuracy.
President Donald Trump said Saturday night that the alleged shooter was in custody. He walked back the post less than 20 minutes later, saying a suspect was not in custody.
It was the latest example of what has become a pattern of the administration’s creating confusion by posting incorrect information at times of heightened anxiety.
During several emergency situations in Trump’s second term — when the American public is seeking accurate, factual details from authority figures — several members of the administration, including Trump, have publicized information later shown to be premature, incorrect or inaccurate.
With manhunt in its third day, fear and frustration grow
Investigators knocked on doors, combed through bushes and released more video and photos as they hunt for a masked gunman who opened fire at Brown University over the weekend, killing two students and wounding nine others.
“It’s all hands on deck,” the Providence police chief, Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr., told reporters this evening.
“We’re at the 49th hour, and there’s no one that wants to put this individual in handcuffs more than us,” he said.
R.I. governor asks for review of school safety plan following Brown shooting
Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee said today he was asking for a review of safety and security plans for schools in the wake of the shooting.
McKee said he asked Commissioner of Postsecondary Education Shannon Gilkey and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Angelica Infante-Green to conduct a review. It covers K-12 and secondary education.
"As a parent who has sent my children off to college — I can only imagine how families are feeling right now," McKee wrote in a statement on X. "And I assure you: The safety and wellbeing of your children and all Rhode Islanders are my priority."
Brown asks community to be vigilant and to speak to police
As the search for the Brown University shooter continues, the Ivy League institution asked members of the community to be vigilant — and requested that those inside the building where the shooting occurred contact authorities.
"We ask that anyone who was in the Barus & Holley building on Friday or Saturday, Dec. 12-13, immediately contact the Providence police to arrange for an interview,” Brown’s public safety department said in a notice.
“Even what seems like an incidental detail may ultimately be helpful in law enforcement’s efforts to protect our community,” it said.
Access to university buildings will be restricted, the department said.
The public safety department also said it has seen an increase in hoax “swatting” calls since the shooting. The illegal practice is when people deliberately report threats to provoke police responses.
9 mm handgun was used in shooting, police chief says
The Brown University shooter used a 9 mm handgun, said the Providence police chief, Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr.
The manhunt is in its third day, and investigators are trying to identify and apprehend the shooter.
“Every minute counts,” Perez said at a news conference.
‘We can’t wait to put handcuffs on that person,’ police chief says
The Providence police chief said tonight that he is hopeful that new photos and video released today lead to the identification of a person of interest in the shooting.
“I’m hoping that based on the images and video that we just released that someone is going to be able to identify this individual,” said the chief, Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr.
The investigation is more than 50 hours in, and police have been joined by state police and federal agencies in the search for the killer. A person who had been detained was released after it was determined he was not a person of interest, officials said.
“When you investigate something, it takes different directions,” Perez said.
Perez said his officers and detectives are dedicated and committed to finding the shooter.
“We can’t wait to put handcuffs on that person,” Perez said, and he urged the shooter to turn himself in.
Shooter 'definitely targeted Brown University,' police say
The shooter “definitely targeted Brown University,” and investigators are looking into a possible motive, the Providence police chief said today.
“Obviously, it’s something we’re looking into, as far as if there was anything else that he was targeting,” the chief, Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr., said at a news conference.
The cooperation of victims and their families “has been extremely helpful,” he said.
Asked whether the shooter yelled something, Perez replied, “That’s something we’re investigating.”
“We took statements, and we have to confirm,” he said.
Providence police share video, photos of person of interest
Providence police shared videos and photos on social media of a person of interest in the campus shooting. The images were captured about two hours before Saturday's shooting, police said at an afternoon conference where they were first shared with the public.
'We don’t want him to end up being a number': Victim's sister remembers his big dreams
Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov's sisters spent hours trying to reach their brother after they learned about the on-campus shooting. They reached out to his friends on Instagram to see wheteher they knew where he was, Rukhsora Umurzokova, 22, his older sister, told NBC News.
“We realized that we were looking at the news and reading two people dead and eight people shot without even realizing that we’re, like, reading this about our brother,” she said. “We didn’t even know. We don’t want him to end up being a number. We want everyone to see his face. We want everyone to know his name.”
She learned around midnight that her younger brother had joined a friend for a review session, even though Umurzokov wasn’t in the class. They called hospitals and the university hotline, and eventually the school’s vice president called her back, she said.
“This was around, like, 2:30 a.m. in the morning, and they informed me that my brother was killed,” Rukhsora Umurzokova said.
Her parents had left that morning for a family trip for Umrah in Saudi Arabia. Once they learned the news, they immediately changed their plans and boarded a flight to New York. Rukhsora Umurzokova said she has yet to see her parents, who drove straight to Rhode Island this morning to take their son home to Virginia for an Islamic burial.
Growing up, her brother was always pegged as the smart one in the family, she said. She remembered him memorizing different types of dinosaurs, countries and capitals. He grew up to become a dedicated student who took numerous Advanced Placement courses and was involved in extracurricular activities.
“We always joked, like, oh, he’s the smartest,” she said. “He has, like, the biggest head. ... He just loved learning.”
He wanted to become a neurosurgeon, inspired by the doctor who operated on him as a child, Rukhsora Umurzokova said. Her brother had fluid build-up in his brain that sometimes impaired his ability to walk.
“All he wanted was just like, ‘I want to be a doctor. I want to help people,’” she said. “That was his life goal, life dream.”
Rukhsora Umurzokova’s brother had a “huge personality” and could talk to anyone for hours. He was a young man with big ambitions who was excited to see his 5-month-old niece over break and celebrate Eid al-Fitr in a few months.
“It’s just scary knowing that someone who was so happy and, like, just basically just disappeared, just in one second, almost,” she said.
New videos and photos released in search for gunman
Providence police today released new videos and photos of the person believed to have opened fire at Brown University.
The videos and photos, recorded a few hours before the shooting, show a man dressed in black on Hope and Manning streets and on Benevolent Street.
“It’s all hands on deck,” the Providence police chief, Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr., said at a news conference this afternoon. State police and federal agencies are also assisting in the search.
Authorities asked people in Rhode Island and beyond to review the new videos and photos and to call police if they have any information.
“Everything that is physically possible is being done,” Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee said.
The FBI today announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the gunman.
Sandy Hook mom calls Brown University shooting ‘unacceptable’
Nicole Hockley, who lost her son in the Sandy Hook massacre, called the Brown University shooting “unacceptable.” Hockley shared signs and action steps that can be taken to intervene before violence occurs.
Providence mayor and police to hold news conference at 5 p.m. ET
The city of Providence announced that Mayor Brett Smiley, the Providence Police Department and other law enforcement officials will provide an update on the investigation into the shooting at 5 p.m. ET.
Ballistics evidence led to release of initial person of interest, officials say
The man authorities initially detained as a person of interest was released last night in part because of ballistics evidence.
A comparison between one of the guns found with the man and the ballistics recovered at the scene did not match, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter.
What the specific evidence was — ammunition, shell casings, etc. — wasn’t detailed to NBC News.
However, it was one of the factors that made it clear to law enforcement that they didn’t have a case for holding the person any longer.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed to NBC News that the man isn’t a suspect and isn’t under surveillance.
Police release new video of a person of interest
Providence police released new surveillance video today of a person of interest, whom they are asking for the public's help in identifying.
'He’s not just a victim; he’s a person'
Jack Diprimio, 23, a grad student at Brown studying public policy, met Mukhammad Umurzokov at a legal philosophy book event in September. He had asked the author a question that the author didn’t appear to be happy about, and Umurzokov approached him afterward to laugh about the situation.
He was interested in neuroscience and becoming a doctor. “But he wasn’t just interested in STEM; he also was really interested in philosophy and law and politics and the way society works, and he was passionate about politics.”
“Mukhammad realized I was a grad student, and I sort of became a resource for him to talk about, like my work experience, my work in politics," Diprimio said. "And we talked about what classes he was taking, but he was interested in science but also strongly interested in politics, in international affairs. He just had a real academic passion for so many subjects.”
“I felt protective of him,” he said.
“He had questions about undergrad relationships, friends. And the thing is, like, you know, I would just often run into him on campus," Diprimio said. "He would sit down — if I was working at a coffee shop — we’d chat about his week. The last time I talked to him was on campus about movies coming out, and the last thing I told him was that he should see ‘Wicked.’”
“He texted me the day before the shooting; he was telling me about some of his plans for the weekend," he said. "And the last message I sent him was on Saturday, because I heard he was missing, and I just said, 'Where are you?' And it went unanswered.”
“He was very curious and open. He loved talking to new people. He was genuinely interested in other people and their lived experiences, and he was very passionate," Diprimio said. "He would speak highly of his friends and his family, and you could tell he was just happy to be at Brown and trying to make as much of it as possible. He was very curious.”
“He’s not just a victim; he’s a person.”
What we know about the Brown University students who were killed
The two students who were killed were identified as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook.
Umurzokov was from Uzbekistan in Central Asia and “had a bright future” ahead of him, his aunt Karina Gabit said.
She described him as “very kind” and smart. She said he wanted to be a neurosurgeon after he underwent brain surgery when he was 10.
The Brown University students killed in the mass shooting Saturday were identified as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. LinkedIn; American Uzbekistan Association via Instagram
Cook, 19, from Birmingham, Alabama, was remembered by her church there as “an incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light” who encouraged those around her.
“Not only here, growing up here at the Advent and myriad ways in which she served faithfully and the ways she encouraged and lift up those around her, but at Brown University, she was an incredible light in that particular place as well,” the priest at Cathedral Church of the Advent said during a Sunday service.
“Pray for the Cooks,” he said.
Virginia officials remember slain victims
Virginia's governor-elect, Abigail Spanberger, remembered Brown shooting victim Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov on X.
Spanberger said Umurzokov just graduated from Midlothian High School in the state. She said that she is heartbroken over his death and that she is praying for his family and all those affected.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin similarly post said on X that he was praying for Umurzokov and the other victim, Ella Cook.
"We lift up their families, friends and communities in a prayer of comfort and peace," Youngkin said.
University of Rhode Island cancels in-person classes following Brown shooting
In-person classes at the University of Rhode Island have been canceled for the day, the school announced in a statement.
Online exams scheduled for today will "proceed as scheduled," the school said.
URI said that there is no known threat to campus — which is in Kingston, about 30 miles south of Brown's campus in Providence — but that the decision was made following "consideration of concerns shared by members of our community."
Alabama senators pay tribute to slain Brown victim Ella Cook
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., paid tribute on X to Ella Cook, one of the victims. She was from his state.
"I am heartbroken to hear that Mountain Brook’s Ella Cook was among those killed over the weekend at Brown University," Tuberville wrote. "Our hearts and our prayers are with the Cook family and everyone impacted by this senseless killing."
Sen. Katie Boyd Britt, R-Ala., said in her tribute that she is mourning Cook's death.
"There are no words that can ease the pain Ella's family and friends are enduring write now," Britt wrote. "Her beautiful life was taken far too soon."
Second slain Brown victim identified as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov
Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov was named the second slain victim of the Brown University shooting by the Uzbekistan Foreign Affairs Ministry.
"The loss of innocent lives as a result of this tragedy is a heavy loss for all of us," the ministry said in a post on Telegram. The post added that representatives from Uzbekistan have been in contact Umurzakov's family.
Umurzokov’s aunt, Karina Gabit, also confirmed the death to NBC News.
"He was very kind, smart. Attended talented and gifted schools," she said. He "wanted to be a neurosurgeon 'cause when he was 10 he had a very serious eight-hours-long brain surgery."
She continued: "We hoped that he would have had a bright future....His mom called me in the middle of the night."
Providence mayor says detained person was released based on evolving evidence
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said on "Good Morning America" that evolving evidence led officials to release someone they had detained as a person of interest.
After processing evidence overnight, "it was determined that this person of interest needed to be released," Smiley said. He added that the investigation continues.
"To be clear, we’ve never stopped our investigation," Smiley said. "Providence police and our partners and state police, the FBI and others, have continuously run down leads and work this case beyond the person of interest who had been detained yesterday."
Smiley noted that it was determined that the former person of interest did not need to be detained any longer but did not rule out that that person had something to do with the mass shooting.
"Until such time as we have an individual in custody who we’re confident is responsible that we’re prepared to press charges and then prosecute, we’re going to continue to leave all doors open until such time is that we’re in a place where we feel confident that we’ve got the right person," Smiley explained.
He said officials believe the person responsible was a lone shooter and that evidence suggests the suspected shooter acted alone.
In the meantime, there is an enhanced police presence on campus and throughout the city, Smiley said. Since the initial call for the shooting came in, Smiley said there has been no indication of more violence or further threats in the city.
Brown University provides update on shooting
In a post on X this morning, Brown University shared the news that the detained person was released and that the Rhode Island attorney general determined "there is no basis" for that individual to be considered a person of interest.
As the investigation continues, local police have said they do not believe there is any threat to Brown or the local community, the post said.
Warriors coach Kerr laments shooting at Brown, calls again for commonsense gun control laws
PORTLAND, Ore. — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr lamented that he was again speaking about gun violence before a game in Portland seven years after he addressed the horrific mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Kerr spoke last night before Golden State’s game at the Trail Blazers, a day after two people were killed and nine others were wounded in a shooting at Brown University.
“It’s just a reminder to me that these shootings continue to happen and there is something we can do about them,” Kerr said. “The loss that all of the people involved last night, the loss that they’re feeling, it’s exactly the same loss as all the Parkland families, and every other mass shooting. Nobody asked me about it today. I didn’t expect anybody to ask me. ... It’s human nature just to think `This is so horrible. Let’s just not even think about it.’ But, we have to think about it.”
Church victim Ella Cook attended remembers her as a 'bright light'
One of the slain victims of the Brown University shooting was identified as Ella Cook by her church at a Sunday morning service.
Cathedral Church of the Advent, located in Birmingham, Alabama, said Cook was killed in the shooting at the Ivy League school.
The church described Cook as an "incredible grounded, faithful, bright light" both growing up in the church "but at Brown University, she was an incredible light in that particular place as well."
The church asked members at the service to "pray for the Cooks. Give thanks for Ella."
"And as a community, let us stand and sing together and grieve with people with deep and abiding and very real hope."
Shooting victim named as Ella Cook, vice president of Brown College Republicans
One of the two people killed in Saturday’s shooting at Brown was Ella Cook, College Republicans of America said in a statement last night.
Ella Cook. Brown University College Republicans
Cook was vice president of the Brown College Republicans, the statement said.
"Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates. Our prayers are with her family, our Brown CR's, and the entirety of the campus as they heal from this tragedy," Martin Bertao, president of the College Republicans of America, said on X.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared the post on X and added: "There are no words. Thinking of her family and friends, especially her parents. God please bless them."
For two Brown University students, school shooting wasn’t their first
Mia Tretta, one of the students wounded in the 2019 shooting at Saugus High School, speaks during a news conference on gun legislation July 22, 2022, at Santa Monica College. Hans Gutknecht / MediaNews Group via Getty Images file
Amid the scores of fearful and worried students following Saturday’s shooting at Brown University were two who have been here before.
Mia Tretta, 21, was shot in the 2019 mass shooting at Saugus High School, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles. A 16-year-old boy carried out that attack, killing two, including Tretta’s best friend, and injuring three before fatally shooting himself.
Zoe Weissman, 20, attended Westglades Middle School, adjacent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when a former student opened fire, killing 17, in 2018.
Person of interest in Brown University shooting to be released as manhunt for killer is underway
A person of interest identified in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University will be released from custody, authorities said late yesterday, sparking a manhunt for the killer.
“Evidence now points in a different direction,” Gov. Dan McKee said at a news conference last night.
The 24-year-old man was detained yesterday morning, three senior law enforcement officials told NBC News. Last night, officials said there was no longer a reason to keep him in custody in connection with the shooting, which killed two students and wounded nine other people at the Ivy League school.
