The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released new images of the person of interest as the manhunt continues for the gunman who killed two Brown University students and wounded nine others on Saturday.
The new images were obtained by investigators after authorities knocked on doors and scoured yards Monday in search of any video or other evidence that might lead them to the gunman, whose face was covered or not visible in footage captured before and after the weekend attack.
The three new images show the person of interest wearing dark pants, a hat, a face mask and a dark two-tone jacket. Although his face wasn’t visible, the footage from about two hours before the shooting provided the clearest images yet of the suspect.
The FBI said the man is about five feet eight inches tall, with a stocky build.
The agency is also offering a reward of up to US$50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual, FBI Boston said in a post on X.
“We’re asking for the public’s assistance,” Providence, R.I.’s police chief, Col. Oscar Perez, said at a news conference, urging people who might recognize the suspect to call a tip line.
On Sunday, police released a person of interest detained in connection with the attack, explaining that the evidence “now points in a different direction.”
Attorney General Peter Neronha said there was some evidence that pointed to the man authorities detained, but “that evidence needed to be corroborated and confirmed. And over the last 24 hours leading into just very, very recently, that evidence now points in a different direction.”
By Monday, Neronha said investigators were “making steady progress.”
The abrupt change of direction marked a setback in the investigation as questions swirl about campus security, the apparent lack of school video evidence and whether the focus on that person of interest gave the attacker more time to escape.
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Brown University shooting: 2 people dead, multiple injured as hunt underway for suspect
Details have also begun to emerge about the students who were shot in the attack on Sunday.
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The shooting happened in an auditorium-style classroom where students in a study group were preparing for an upcoming exam.
Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore who was vice-president of the Brown College Republicans, was one of the students killed, according to the pastor at her church in Alabama.
In announcing her death Sunday, the Rev. R. Craig Smalley described Cook as “an incredible grounded, faithful, bright light” who encouraged and “lifted up those around her.”
“Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates,” Martin Bertao, the president of the club, said in a message posted on X.
“This beautiful young girl was one of the murdered students at Brown University. It takes special courage to lead an organization of conservatives on a left wing campus, and I am very sorry our country has lost one of its bright young stars,” U.S. Vice-President JD Vance wrote on X.
The other student killed was Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience. He was helping a friend at a review session for an economics final when he was shot, his sister said.
As a child, Umurzokov suffered a neurological condition that required surgery, and he later wore a back brace because of scoliosis, said Samira Umurzokova, noting that the family immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan when she, her brother and sister were young.
“He had big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and helping people. He continues to be my family’s biggest role model in all aspects. He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page for her brother.
The GoFundMe post has raised over $426,000 of its goal of $460,000 from more than 9,000 donations as of Tuesday afternoon.
The American Uzbekistan Association shared a post on Instagram in memory of Umurzokov, writing, “More than a gifted student, Aziz was a beloved son, brother, and friend. He had a future filled with promise, and his life was cut short far too soon.”
“On behalf of the American Uzbekistan Association, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Mukhammad Aziz’s family during this time of unimaginable grief. We stand with them in mourning and are grateful to all who have offered prayers, messages of support, and solidarity,” the post added.
Brown University president Christina Paxson said the Brown University community lost Cook and Umurzokov “to an act of unimaginable and senseless violence.”
“These were two young people whose amazing promise was extinguished too soon. Both were at or near the beginning of their Brown journey — actually, they were at the beginning of a lot of things,” she wrote. “Starting a new chapter away from home. Exploring. Making new friends. Learning about the world and themselves in new ways. Embarking on an exciting path to what life would hold for them in their years at and beyond Brown.”
Paxson said Cook was “was a passionate and intellectually curious member of our community who was interested in French and Francophone studies.”
“Ella was an accomplished competitive pianist and served as a volunteer leader for the Cathedral Church of the Advent in nearby Birmingham back at home,” Paxson continued. “She was known for her compassionate, loyal and courageous spirit, and we understand she was described by a church leader as a ‘tremendous bright light’ who brought peace and faith to all those around her.”
Paxson said Umurzokov “pursued his deep ambition to make a positive impact in the world by becoming a neurosurgeon.”
“A first-year student, he arrived this fall with a passion for medicine born from a personal experience, and he planned to concentrate in biochemistry and molecular biology to help realize his dream of becoming a doctor,” she wrote.
“Before releasing their names, it was important that we give their families some space to grieve, but now it is important that we never forget them.”
Paxson previously announced that all remaining undergraduate, graduate and medical classes, exams and papers and projects for the fall 2025 semester will not take place as scheduled.
— With files from The Associated Press
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