Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman at Brown University, was killed in a shooting outside a review session on the Providence, R.I., campus on Saturday.
Umurzokov, who was scheduled to return home for winter break on Thursday, was an exemplary scholar who had earned a substantial scholarship to Brown. His family received confirmation of his death from the university on Monday.
Dreams of Becoming a Neurosurgeon
Speaking from their home in Midlothian, Va., outside Richmond, his two sisters, Rukhsora Umurzokova, 22, and Samara Umurzokova, 15, described their brother as “gentle” and “extroverted.”
Umurzokov, who was the middle child, arrived in the United States from Uzbekistan with his family in 2011. The U.S. embassy in Uzbekistan has publicly mourned the loss of a “bright future.”
His sisters explained that Umurzokov chose Brown largely because its financial aid package would be the least financial burden on his parents. He worked at a Wawa over the summer to afford a new laptop.
Dedicated Student and Friend
A childhood medical condition, Chiari malformation, where spinal fluid puts pressure on the brain and spinal cord, was the reason his family initially moved to the U.S. Umurzokov’s high school friend, Maddox Johnson, 19, said the student was intent on becoming a neurosurgeon to help children, similar to how doctors once helped him.
Johnson remembered Umurzokov as a dedicated student who took over a dozen Advanced Placement classes. At one point, Umurzokov successfully lobbied high school administrators to provide a more rigorous physics class after mastering the highest-level one offered.
Umurzokov’s kindness was as notable as his academic skill. “He was the nicest guy. If you needed help, he’d help,” Johnson said, recalling how Umurzokov would often assist his peers with challenging subjects like calculus.
The friend recalled their last conversation over Thanksgiving break, where Umurzokov had spoken about the supportive friends he had found at Brown. “The last thing I said to him was, ‘I’m sure I’ll see you over winter break, probably at Target,’” Johnson said. “And unfortunately, that’s never going to happen.”
