By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, December 15, 2025
A churchgoing young Republican leader was among the victims killed during a shooting at Brown University on Saturday.
Ella Cook, a Brown sophomore from Alabama and vice president of the Brown College Republicans, died when a gunman opened fire in the Barus & Holley Engineering and Physics Building during final exams, according to authorities. Nine others were injured in the incident. Police have not disclosed a motive, and a person of interest detained on Sunday was later released.
The College Republicans of America confirmed Cook’s death in a statement mourning “the loss of our Brown College Republicans Vice President, Ella Cook,” calling her “bold, brave, and kind” and asking for prayers for her family, the campus, and the Brown chapter as they grieve.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed condolences on social media, writing: “There are no words. Thinking of her family and friends, especially her parents. God please bless them.”
Cook’s faith was central to her life. She was a parishioner at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, where Rev. Craig Smalley announced her death during a Sunday service. Smalley described Cook as “incredibly grounded and generous and faithful — a bright light” in the church and in her community.
Brown University President Christina H. Paxson described the shooting as a “deeply tragic day” and stated there were “truly no words” to express the sorrow. Families watching another campus tragedy unfold remain without answers about how a gunman was able to bring terror into an exam setting.
In Providence, authorities acknowledged that evidence had led the investigation in a different direction and that the shooter remained at large. Officials also said the released detainee would not face charges at this time.
As the manhunt continues, Cook is being remembered not as a political label but as a young woman of conviction — rooted in faith, active in her community, and willing to lead.
