FBI Ups Ante with $50,000 Reward as Manhunt Intensifies for Brown University Shooter
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the gunman responsible for the deadly mass shooting at Brown University, as the manhunt entered its fourth day with no suspect in custody.[1][4]
The shooting unfolded on December 13, 2025, around 4:05 p.m. EST in the Barus and Holley Building, home to the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. A single gunman opened fire inside Room 166, a 186-seat lecture hall, during a review session for an introductory economics final exam led by teaching assistant Joseph Oduro. Two Brown University students were killed, and nine others wounded in the attack.[1]
Victims Identified Amid Campus Grief
The victims who lost their lives were identified as Ella Cook, vice president of Brown’s College Republicans and a parishioner at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a recent graduate of Midlothian High School in Chesterfield County, Virginia, who immigrated from Uzbekistan as a child.[1][2]
Cook and Umurzokov were among 21 students in the session. The university has canceled the remainder of the fall 2025 semester’s finals, leaving campus eerily quiet as many students returned home. A growing memorial of flowers and candles has formed outside the engineering building, where students gathered to mourn while expressing frustration over the lack of progress in the investigation.[3]
“It’s pretty absurd they haven’t caught the guy of interest… I know stuff like this takes time to find the right person,” said Fernando Jimenez, a Brown freshman.[3]
Manhunt Challenges: Snow, False Leads, and Surveillance Hunt
Overnight snow following the shooting complicated evidence collection, including fingerprints, at the scene.[1] Authorities initially detained a man after an FBI raid on a hotel in Coventry, about 20 miles from Providence, and another home in a neighboring state. However, ballistics evidence did not match a gun in his possession, and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed there was “no basis to consider him a person of interest.” He was released the same day.[1]
Providence Police released images and three additional videos of the suspect on December 15, showing a man in dark clothing walking near Hope and Waterman streets. Investigators highlighted his distinctive gait and stride, urging the public—especially those nearby with surveillance footage, including Ring cameras or building videos—to come forward.[1][2][3]
Dramatic classroom footage captured the chaos: students hiding behind desks and tables during a shelter-in-place order, later escorted out by police.[2] As of December 16, no suspect had been identified or located, and officials stressed there is no immediate public threat.[1][2]
Investigation Updates and Community Response
The FBI’s reward aims to generate new leads in a case that has gripped the nation. Investigators planned a briefing on December 15, though details from that event were not immediately available.[3] Brown University, located on Providence’s East Side, remains on heightened alert, with an uneasy atmosphere pervading the campus.[3]
The attack marks a tragic end to the fall semester’s second day of finals. Professor Rachel Friedberg, whose economics class was the target, was not present. The incident has renewed debates on campus safety at Ivy League institutions, with students voicing outrage and indifference in equal measure amid the grief.[1][3]
Broader Context and Next Steps
This shooting is the deadliest on a U.S. college campus since 2015, according to preliminary reports.[1] Law enforcement agencies, including Providence Police and the FBI, continue to comb through evidence, with public tips seen as crucial to breaking the case.
Authorities reiterated calls for anyone with information, no matter how small, to contact tip lines. The reward underscores the urgency, as the community awaits justice for Cook, Umurzokov, and the survivors.[4]
Brown University has provided counseling services, and a unified investigation team is working around the clock. Updates are expected as new developments emerge.