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Who was Ella Cook? Brown University student fatally shot; Alabama parish offers prayers

Ella Cook was identified Sunday as the first victim killed in the Brown University shooting, with an Alabama parish honoring her during a church service.

Updated on: Dec 15, 2025 7:45 AM IST
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On Sunday Ella Cook was identified as the first victim to be fatally shot at Brown University on Saturday. An Alabama parish she attended identified her as she was remembered at a service Sunday.

Ella Cooks from Alabama was identified as the first deceased victim of the Brown University shooting (L) and scene outside Brown University. (X and File Photo)
Ella Cooks from Alabama was identified as the first deceased victim of the Brown University shooting (L) and scene outside Brown University. (X and File Photo)

Cook was a sophomore at Brown University, the Cathedral Church of the Advent in her Alabama hometown of Birmingham, confirmed while offering prayers in her memory on Sunday afternoon.

Here's a video of Cook's remembrance at the parish on Sunday:

Cook was one of the two victims who were fatally shot at Brown University on Saturday afternoon. The other deceased victim has not been identified. Meanwhile, nine others were injured, with seven of them critical but stable, per the Providence Police Department in Rhode Island.

On Sunday, 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson was identified as the person of interest in the shooting at Brown University. He was taken into custody by the police early on Sunday morning from a hotel in Coventry County, Rhode Island.

Who Was Ella Cook?

According to former Brown University student Alex Shieh, who identified as a friend of Ella Cook, Cook was the Vice President of the Brown Republicans and a staunch conservative.

Also read: Who is Kendall Turner? Brown University shooting victim identified as student

"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," Shieh wrote, sharing screenshot of their last conversation.

Laura Ingraham of Fox News shared an update from friends of Ella Cook: "From friends who know Ella’s family—a brilliant, hard-working young woman studying at Brown U. Such a horrific end to this young life. Please pray for all the victims of this senseless violence."

The parish revealed that Cooks is survived by a sibling and her parents.

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