A 19-year-old second-year student at Brown University, who also serves as vice president of her university’s Republican club, has been recognized as one of the two students who lost their lives in Saturday’s shooting on the Ivy League campus.
Ella Cook’s passing was revealed on Sunday during a ceremony held at the Cathedral Church of the Advent inBirmingham, Alabama, where her family attends worship.
The recognition was verified by Rev. Craig Smalley, who honored the young person during the service.
Tragically, one of our congregation members, Ella Cook, was among those killed yesterday,” Smalley stated. “She was an extraordinary, stable, devoted shining light. She inspired and uplifted everyone around her.
Smalley shared how she was raised at the Advent church, highlighting the many ways she served with dedication and the manner in which she supported and inspired those around her. However, at Brown University, she shone as a remarkable presence in that specific environment.
Cook, hailing from Birmingham, was enrolled at Brown University when she was shot during an event authorities have referred to as a final review session on campus Saturday afternoon.
She was among the two students who lost their lives in the incident. Nine other individuals were injured. The second deceased person has not been officially revealed to the public yet.
As reported by those who were familiar with her, Cook was highly engaged in campus activities and religiously motivated service.
During the Sunday service, Smalley referred to her as a ‘remarkable bright light’ who provided faith and tranquility to those nearby.
He mentioned that she is survived by her parents and two brothers or sisters.
Cook also served in a leadership capacity at Brown as vice president of the university’s Republican club, a role verified by other students and alumni.
A former student at Brown University, Alex Shieh, who claimed to have known Cook, posted on X stating that she was highly regarded by people with diverse political views on campus.
Everyone at Brown who knew Ella, no matter their political views, found her to be warm and compassionate,” Shieh wrote. “My thoughts are with Ella’s family. Ella was a talented young leader who left us far too early.
I met Ella through the Brown Republicans, where she served as vice president. Being a conservative at Brown can be challenging, but Ella never hesitated to express her views on a campus that was predominantly liberal and encouraged others to do the same.
A different woman who encountered Cook earlier this year via the Brown Republican Club shared a comparable experience.
In a statement, Xi Van Fleet mentioned that she met Cook last April during a lunch at the Brown Faculty Club after a campus tour.
Even in that short period, she left a lasting impact,” the woman wrote. “Ella was a beautiful, kind, and highly intelligent young woman who was the Vice President of the Republican Club.
She mentioned that the two of them talked about campus life, recent events, and the experience of being a conservative at Brown.
Cook died during a review session for an economics course. Officials have not officially verified if the shooter had particular people in mind, and law enforcement has warned that the inquiry is still in progress.
A person of interest, identified by police as Benjamin Erickson, was taken into custody early Sunday morning at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, after an 11-hour search, but was subsequently let go late Sunday evening.
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