Ella Cook: What we know about the 19-year-old from Mountain Brook killed in Brown University shooting
By Taylor Lang
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WVTM) — Ella Cook, 19, was a sophomore at Brown University studying French and mathematics-economics, according to her obituary.
She was killed in the shooting at Brown University on Saturday. She was planning to graduate in 2028, according to her LinkedIn.
Her obituary states she was known for her quiet leadership, deep Christian faith and devotion to children and education.
What we know The shooting happened just after 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Barus and Holley building, which houses the school of engineering and the physics department, where students were gathering for their exams. Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook were killed. Nine others were injured. Ella Cook is from Mountain Brook, Alabama. Classes and exams were canceled. University officials also said students are free to leave. Officials shed new light on the investigation on Wednesday, sharing a photo of that potential witness, publishing a map of the person of interest’s movements and revealing that they do have physical DNA evidence, though it has not yet led to the identity of a suspect.
Who was Ella Cook Ella Cobbs Cook was born on July 18, 2006, in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was raised with her parents and two sisters, according to her obituary.
“Her bright young life was taken from her on December 13, 2025 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island,” the obituary states.
Cook was an active member of the Cathedral Church of the Advent, an Episcopal congregation in Birmingham. Her Christian faith shaped much of her daily life and relationships, family members said in her obituary.
She taught Bible studies and Sunday School and regularly worked with younger children. Her obituary says she believed her highest calling would one day be motherhood.
Friends and family described Cook as soft-spoken, but deeply influential. She was someone who led not through prominence but through consistency, empathy and service.
“She loved people as people,” family members said, noting that she was intentionally focused on the well-being of those around her.
Cook had a lifelong love of the arts. She played the piano, traveled, danced and loved the outdoors. She also spoke French.
She served as vice president of the Brown chapter of the College Republicans of America.
Martin Bertao, president of College Republicans of America, said Cook “was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart” and offered prayers for her family and the campus community.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reposted the College Republicans’ message, writing, “There are no words. Thinking of her family and friends, especially her parents. God please bless them.”
A service celebrating Cook’s life is scheduled for Dec. 22 at Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Children’s Ministry at Cathedral Church of the Advent, 2017 Sixth Ave. North, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203.
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