Shooting at Prestigious Brown University Leaves Two Dead and Nine Injured
On Saturday, a mass shooting occurred at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, during exams in a campus building. The incident resulted in two fatalities and nine injuries, all of whom were students.
Victims and Injuries
The victims were identified as Ella Cook, the vice president of Brown’s Republican Association, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a neuroscience aspirant from Uzbekistan. Among the nine injured, one was in critical condition, seven were stable, and one had been released.
Initial Detention and Release
Authorities initially detained a man in connection with the shooting but later released him due to insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
Active Investigation
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee expressed the urgency to identify, apprehend, and bring the shooter to justice. The Providence Police Chief, Óscar Pérez, described the investigation as “very active” and “very complex,” with both FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents involved.
Gun Control in the United States
The United States, with more firearms in circulation than its population, has the highest gun-related mortality rate among developed nations. Despite recurring mass shootings, successive governments have yet to effectively curb this issue due to the strong attachment many Americans have to gun ownership, constitutionally guaranteed.
- Question: How many mass shootings have occurred in the US since the beginning of the year?
- Answer: According to The Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more people are shot and injured, over 300 mass shootings have taken place in the US since the start of the year.
Presidential Response
During a White House event on Sunday, President Donald Trump briefly addressed the Brown University shooting, acknowledging it as “a great university… one of the best in the world” and extending his condolences to the families of the deceased.
Brown University, an Ivy League institution near Boston with approximately 11,000 students, has faced this tragedy. The deadliest school shooting in US history occurred at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, when a student killed 32 people and injured 17 before taking his own life.
