by Sarah McCall ’26 on January 22, 2026
News
On Saturday, Dec. 13, the city of Providence faced a tragedy when Claudio Manuel Neves Valente opened fire on a Brown University final review session, killing two students and injuring nine. Ella Cook, a sophomore, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman, were the two victims who lost their lives that day. Neves Valente was identified after a five-day manhunt, which resulted in the discovery of his body in a New Hampshire storage facility. Additionally, he was connected to the murder of an MIT professor, Nuno Loureiro, which was committed just two days after the shooting at Brown. Neves Valente was a former graduate student at Brown, originally enrolled in the fall of 2000. During this five-day stretch, fear coursed through members of the Providence community. Brown students remained in lockdown late into the night as the search continued to find the unidentified shooter.
This fear was not limited to the Brown campus. In an age of mass gun violence, students nationally are familiar with the dangers of a school shooting. The Providence Public School District reported a 20 percent absence rate on Monday, Dec. 15, even with assurance from officials that there was no active threat against Providence Public Schools. Additionally, students at Providence College remained sheltered in their dorms and off-campus houses waiting for potential news updates with no official shelter in place order administered.
Around the state of Rhode Island, colleges and universities altered their final exam schedules due to continued fear and uncertainty. The University of Rhode Island, Bryant University, and Providence College canceled all in-person exams due to safety concerns. Each university provided other options for final grades, such as the option for an online exam, a postponed exam date, or an alternative assignment.
As the news continued to unfold, the Providence College campus experienced extensive changes. The normally bustling campus filled with students studying for finals became filled with cars moving students out quicker than anticipated. The security at the gates was increased, with increased surveillance on who was entering campus and for what reason. As the week continued and students left, different parts of campus began to close sooner than expected. Ruane Cafe, Eaton Street Cafe, Diane Parrett R.N. Cafe, Alumni Dining, and the Concannon Fitness Center either limited their hours or closed for the remainder of the semester. Saint Dominic Chapel also limited its services and confession times for the remainder of the semester.
Following this tragic event, the resilience of the Providence community was made clear. Two Brown University sophomores were shopping at Trader Joe’s when they received news of the shooting. The Trader Joe’s employees cooked the students dinner, paid for their hotel, and drove them to the hotel as the Brown campus remained closed. Additionally, RIPTA drivers spent the night of Dec. 13 shuttling students to safety. One RIPTA driver, David St. Germain, recounted driving hundreds of kids until 3 a.m. the following morning. He, along with eight other drivers, jumped right to action. St. Germain said that he was “just there to help” and “would have stayed later if they’d needed me.” The bravery of St. Germain, the first responders, and all of the Providence citizens who came together to support each other is remarkable and a reflection of the spirit of the city. Although nothing can fully repair the damage caused, the Providence community came out of this tragedy stronger than ever, reflecting the Rhode Island state flag, which proudly displays the word “hope” as the state’s motto.