(WJAR) — Gathering on the College Green on Sunday, the Brown University Class of 2026 celebrated a milestone that was defined as much by its profound grief as its academic triumph.
As rain-soaked families and graduates, a quiet fell over the community as they paused to honor two classmates killed in the Dec. 13, 2025, mass shooting. The tragedy, which claimed the lives of seniors Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, left an undeniable void at Sunday’s graduation.
Brown University President Christina Paxson praised the community’s resilience in the wake of the tragedy.
“We saw something remarkable happen in the shadow of those moments,” Paxson said. “We didn’t see a community retreat, we saw a community reach out.”…