19-year-old Ella Cook of Mountain Brook remembered after tragic Brown shooting

Ella Cook, a 19-year-old Brown University student and alum of Mountain Brook High School, passed away Saturday, Dec. 13 at the college in Rhode Island during a tragic shooting, during which one other student died and nine were wounded.

Her family shared her obituary this week and directed gifts to her church, where she was a lifelong member of the congregation.

About Ella Cook

Cook graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 2024. While she was a student there, she was known for being “focused” and “studious,” according to a bio from the New York Times.

She was a talented pianist, fluent in French and a member of the French Honor Society. Cook participated in school pageants, where she showed off her skills. Even so, her peers told NYT, she did so with humility.

Locals may have known her while she worked at Mountain Brook Creamery prior to leaving for college.

After enrolling at the prestigious university, sophomore Cook became the vice president of the Brown college Republican Club, which said in a statement that she was known for her “bold, brave and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates.”

Cook was known for her “soul” that touched those around her, her obituary states.

“Ella was known for her wide array of interests, from being with her precious friends, to babysitting so many children who were special to her, to teaching young people in Bible studies, Sunday School, and academic subjects. Ella dearly loved children. In fact, she believed her highest calling would one day be to have children of her own.”

Ridout’s Valley Chapel, Ella Cobbs Cook obituary

Her faith was important to her, which was clearly displayed in her active membership of her church, the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.

“Ella carried a kind of personal magic within her, from her quiet smile, to her consistent openness to new challenges and places, to her heartfelt Christian faith, to her kind encouragement of all whom she met who needed encouragement, to her persistent courage in following both heart and conscience.”

How to honor her memory

In the obituary, Cook’s family asks that gifts in her memory can be made to:

Children’s Ministry at the Cathedral Church of the Advent
2017 Sixth Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203

A celebration of her life will be held Monday, Dec. 22 at Cathedral Church of the Advent (time TBD), and her family invites attendees to wear Easter colors.

In Alabama, flags will fly at half-staff until sunset Friday, Dec. 19, in honor of Cook and the other victims of the Brown University shooting.

Support beyond Alabama

The family of the other student who was killed, 18-year-old Brown student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with funeral expenses.

“He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew. Our family is incredibly devastated by this loss. Any donations will help significantly with any expenses my family will have to face, and the rest of the funds will be donated to charity in his name.”

Samira Umurzokova, GoFundMe

Umurzokov’s fundraiser appears to be the only active, verified fundraiser as of Tuesday, Dec. 16.