Photo: Alamy
A sophomore from Alabama who served as a conservative student leader has been identified as one of two students killed during a mass shooting at Brown University on Saturday afternoon, authorities and school officials said.
Ella Cook, a second-year student originally from Alabama, was attending a study review session for an economics class when a gunman entered the room and opened fire. Two students were killed and nine others were injured. All of the victims were students, according to officials.
Former Brown student Alex Shieh said in a social media post that she was “still in shock over the news from Brown University.”
“And it broke my heart to learn that Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama, is no longer with us,” Shieh wrote. “I knew Ella through Brown Republicans, where she was vice president. Being a conservative at Brown isn’t always the easiest, but Ella was never afraid to share her beliefs on an overwhelmingly liberal campus and support others in doing so.”
Cook was also remembered by the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was a parishioner.
“Some of you haven’t heard, a lot of you have heard the tragedy yesterday at Brown University, the shooting of a number of people,” the church said in a statement. “Tragically one of our parishioners Ella Cook was one of those who was killed yesterday.”
“And those of you who knew her, those of you who know her, she was an incredible grounded faithful bright light.. not only here growing up here at the advent in the myriad ways in which she served faithfully and the ways in which she encouraged and lift up those around her, but at Brown University she was an incredible light in that particular place as well.”
Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth also issued a statement confirming Cook’s death.
“Ella Cook, a sophomore student from Birmingham, was killed in the shooting at Brown University on Saturday,” Ainsworth said. “Ella was a devoted Christian and a committed conservative who represented the very best of Alabama. A bright future was ended much too soon. Join me in lifting up her family in prayers of comfort.”
Authorities detained a man in connection with the shooting, who was later released. The investigation remains ongoing.
