Two of the victims who had been shot and killed at Brown College have been recognized whereas the suspect stays at massive.
Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook dinner had been individually recognized as the 2 college students killed in a classroom Saturday night time on the tail finish of a research session for an introductory economics class.
Umurzokov was a freshman with aspirations to develop into a neurosurgeon, whereas Cook dinner was a sophomore recognized for her “bold, brave, and kind heart,” Faculty Republicans of America wrote in a put up saying Cook dinner’s loss of life, noting that she was the vp of Brown’s chapter.
Considered one of Umurzokov’s buddies and fellow Brown freshman Henry Buss mentioned that he came upon that his buddy had died within the capturing after sending him unanswered textual content messages and knocking on his dorm room, only some doorways down from his personal.
“It was, well, at the time, it was devastating,” Buss mentioned. “Today, I’m doing better I guess, cause I’ve had a bit of time to process, but yeah…”
Buss described Umurzkov as “damn funny” and one of many smartest folks he’d ever met. Umurzkov was somebody that everybody knew, Buss mentioned. Though he was good and well-liked, he wasn’t proud or boastful. Once they joked round, Umurzkov would additionally watch out to ask if he was going to far with a joke.
The buddies met as a result of they lived on the identical ground and “unit” group for first years. There was typically banter of their friendship, however additionally they had deep conversations, particularly about how exhausting it was to regulate to school life.
Simply earlier than Halloween, Umurzkov satisfied Buss to go on a “side project” with him, when Buss was presupposed to be ending up a pc science task, to go discover Umurzkov scrubs for a fancy dress he was engaged on. 4 hours and half of Windfall later, “we never did find scrubs,” Buss recalled, however they’d enjoyable wanting.
The final time Buss noticed his buddy, Umurzkov satisfied him to seize a meal at Josiah’s, a kind of late-night, comfort-food sort eatery on campus, on Friday night time. They mirrored on the semester, joked round one final time.
Buss mentioned he wasn’t certain how they might mourn or memorialize Umurzkov, however he hoped his buddies would get collectively within the subsequent semester to get the possibility to take action.
Manhunt for capturing suspect
The identification of the victims comes as investigators are nonetheless making an attempt to unravel who killed them.
Windfall Police launched extra footage and a nonetheless photograph of a “person of interest” within the capturing that killed Umurzkov and Cook dinner and injured 9 others.
A number of movies from what seem like private safety cameras present a person in darkish clothes, a masks, and a black beanie strolling across the areas of Cooke St., Manning St., and Benevolent St., round 2 p.m. on Saturday solely hours earlier than and blocks away from the place the capturing came about.
A nonetheless photograph of the suspect exhibits him sporting a black and darkish inexperienced jacket.
Police additionally shared surveillance video taken on Waterman Road simply east of campus of the particular person of curiosity once more sporting darkish clothes round 4 p.m. on Saturday. Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Proof Response group combed by way of space Monday afternoon. Investigators picked up some gadgets through the searched and positioned them in proof baggage whereas a drone flew overhead.
A lot of the footage was launched at a night press convention Monday, the place officers additionally confirmed that the gun used within the killings was a 9mm handgun. A number of rounds had been discharged through the capturing, Windfall Police Chief Oscar Perez mentioned.
Anybody with info is inspired to succeed in out to the federal tip line or name 401-272-3121. The FBI is providing a $50,000 reward to anybody who offers info that results in the apprehension of the suspect.
“This is starting our 49th hour,” Perez mentioned. “There’s no one that wants to put this individual in handcuffs more than us.”
Authorities initially detained an individual of curiosity within the case Sunday morning however introduced they had been releasing the particular person by Sunday night time.
College students scared
College students who spoke to the Herald mentioned the information that police had launched an individual of curiosity provoked worry in these left on campus. A number of folks across the college heard a loud noise late Sunday night time that they believed could possibly be gunshots, and thru a sequence of nameless social media posts and textual content threads, many college students adopted a self-imposed shelter-in-place protocol.
The stories of gunshots turned out to be false, however the incident had a number of college students on edge.
“You don’t really know who the real culprit is,” a freshman Rassul, who requested to solely use his first identify, mentioned.
Brock Owen, a junior on the soccer group, mentioned he’d stayed up late listening to the police scanner questioning if one thing else may occur.
He mentioned he feels pissed off that investigators appear to comply with the unsuitable leads.
“It’s like what the heck,” Owen mentioned. “This guy could have more time to escape.”
“It’s been a lot of ups and downs,” one Brown upperclassman carrying his suitcase, who requested to not be named, mentioned of the final 48 hours. At moments, he mentioned he’d felt secure, and at others, like when he heard a loud noise this morning and thought it was extra gunfire, he’s realized he’s nonetheless processing what occurred.
“We’ll have to see how it goes next semester,” he mentioned, earlier than hustling off to catch his trip to get dwelling.
