Photos: In the days following tragedy, community members unite in grief

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - On Dec. 13, 2025, a senseless act of violence stole the lives of two beloved Brown students, Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, and left nine others injured.

In the days that followed the tragic loss of life, students, faculty and staff struggled to process the unfathomable events that shattered the peace of Brown's close-knit community. A makeshift shrine formed outside the University's Van Wickle Gates, as people placed photos, flowers and teddy bears in memory of the slain students. A second memorial formed on Brook Street, close to the site of the shooting, at the base of the student-designed art installation, "Infinite Possibility," which stands outside the School of Engineering.

Elsewhere on campus, small signs of unity and sorrow emerged - a heart traced in the freshly fallen snow, "Ever True" (a nod to Brown's fight song) in a residence hall window, the flag on the College Green flying at half-staff.

On Wednesday, Dec. 17, an interfaith community service provided a chance for students, many of whom had left early for winter break, to gather virtually in support and reflection. It was the first formal gathering of the Brown community since the weekend. In a Dec. 16 letter to the Brown community, President Christina H. Paxson said that planning is underway for additional formal remembrances of Cook and Umurzokov when students return and spring semester begins.

"I know the weight of this tragedy bears heavily on all of us," Paxson wrote. "I look forward to being able to gather in community with one another as we celebrate the lives of Ella and Mukhammad in the weeks to come."