PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The second student killed in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University has been identified as 18-year-old freshman Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a promising young scholar whose family says he dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed his death Monday, calling the tragedy “a heavy loss for all of us.” His aunt told NBC News she learned the devastating news when Umurzokov’s mother called her “in the middle of the night.”
“He was very kind, smart. He attended talented and gifted schools,” she said. As a child, Umurzokov survived an eight-hour brain surgery — an experience that inspired his dream of entering medicine. “We hoped that he would have had a bright future.”
Relatives also honored him in a GoFundMe created to support funeral costs. “He was incredibly kind, funny, and smart,” his sister, Samira Umurzokova, wrote. “He had big dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and helping people… He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need.”
The American Uzbekistan Association called him “a bright and promising Uzbek American student” known for humility, compassion, and “a quiet willingness to help anyone in need.” His loss, the group said, leaves “an immeasurable void” across his family, classmates, and community.
Umurzokov was one of two students killed when a gunman opened fire in a Brown University classroom Saturday, injuring nine others. The shooter remained at large Monday morning.
“We want to show everyone how amazing of a person he was,” his sister said.
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