College Republicans VP Killed in Brown University Shooting, Suspect Still at Large

The vice president of the College Republicans at Brown University was among the two students killed during Saturday’s mass shooting on campus — a politically active 19-year-old sophomore who many believe was targeted for her conservative beliefs.

Ella Cook, a rising leader in the College Republicans of America, was attending a study session in an engineering building when a masked gunman opened fire, killing her and fellow student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18. Nine others were wounded. The shooter has not yet been captured.

A Conservative Voice Silenced

College Republicans of America confirmed that Cook was killed during the attack, calling her “bold, brave, and kind-hearted.” The group’s chairman, William Branson Donahue, said he believes Cook was “hunted and killed in cold blood” because of her role as a conservative leader on an overwhelmingly left-wing campus.

“I’m told she was allegedly targeted for her conservative beliefs,” Donahue wrote on X. “This was an attack on our family.”

Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, mourning Cook’s death and praising her courage. “It takes special courage to lead an organization of conservatives on a left-wing campus,” Vance said. “Our country has lost one of its bright young stars.”

Cook’s death comes just three months after the live-streamed assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — another devastating blow to the broader conservative student movement. Donahue referenced that loss as well, warning that free speech and safety for right-of-center students is under siege.

“Charlie tried to facilitate conversations. They killed him for it,” Donahue wrote. “We’re all just next on the list.”

Was It Political? Motive Still Unclear

So far, authorities have not confirmed whether Cook was deliberately targeted due to her politics. But concerns are mounting. Brown University is one of the most progressive campuses in the country — and conservatives there, by their own admission, face near-constant hostility.

Donahue noted how hard it has been to find conservative leaders willing to step up in that environment. “Our Brown chapter is very small at a super-left school,” he said. “It’s difficult being one of the only students at your school to stand up and fight for your values.”

Donahue said College Republicans across the country have been harassed, assaulted, and in some cases permanently injured — with attackers often walking free. “We’ve had chapter presidents assaulted, their kneecaps broken, and their lives ruined by those who disagree with us. College campuses are cesspools,” he wrote.

With the shooter still at large, many are demanding to know whether Ella Cook’s political activism put a target on her back — and whether the killing was more than random violence.

Second Victim Was Future Surgeon

Also killed in the shooting was 18-year-old neuroscience student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, described by friends and family as brilliant, humble, and endlessly kind.

The American Uzbekistan Association mourned his loss, saying, “His curiosity, discipline, and generosity reflected both his character and the values of the community that raised him.”

Vice President Vance honored both students. “Say a prayer for everyone affected by this terrible tragedy,” he wrote. “Right before Christmas.”

Investigation Intensifies Amid Pressure

Despite a massive manhunt and FBI involvement, the shooter remains unidentified. A person of interest detained Sunday was later released after evidence pointed in a different direction. That failure has only deepened the outrage, especially among those who believe Ella Cook was targeted for her conservative leadership.

Now, with Christmas approaching, the conservative student movement is in mourning — again — and questions about the growing danger on America’s college campuses are only getting louder.