Student's Campus Experience Interrupted by Violence
On December 13, a Brown University student from Ohio was present on campus when a shooting incident unfolded. Ramya Rajan, a graduate of Mason High School, had recently achieved her dream of attending Brown.
"It was actually a year from Saturday that I got in," Rajan stated.
Her freshman year took a dramatic turn that Saturday when a gunman entered the Engineering and Physics building and began firing. The attack resulted in nine injured students and two fatalities, identified as 18-year-old Ella Cook and 19-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
Lockdown and Fear
Upon receiving a text alert about an active shooter, Rajan quickly retreated to her dormitory with her roommate. "We barricaded our door, and closed our windows and turned off our lights," she recounted.
They remained sheltered in place for over 12 hours. During this time, Rajan felt helpless as she searched for accurate information online, noting the challenge of widespread misinformation. "It was just very terrifying and at the same time, I was worried for a lot of my friends," she said.
The shooting occurred during a freshman study session. Rajan mentioned, "I had several friends who were in the room and several friends who were in the vicinity."
Personal Loss and Reflection
Rajan knew Umurzokov personally, having seen him earlier that day. She described him as kind and compassionate. "He made an effort to remember my name the first time we met, and I know when college starts, it’s such a blur as to all of the people that you’re meeting," she shared.
Learning of his death was particularly difficult. "He wanted to be a neurosurgeon since he was 8, and the world lost what would have been an amazing neurosurgeon," Rajan expressed.
Reflecting on her preparedness, Rajan noted she had practiced active shooter drills since seventh grade. However, many of her international friends were unprepared for such an event. "It was a uniquely American experience, I guess, that we had, and it’s something that is such a big thing here that isn’t as prevalent in other places," she observed.
She found it jarring that some individuals were unsure how to respond. Despite her training, the reality was hard to anticipate. "When it’s right there, and it’s your friends and this new family you have, it’s devastating," Rajan said.
Moving Forward
After the incident, Rajan returned home to Mason on the first available flight. She plans to resume her studies at Brown University in January but acknowledges that campus life will be altered. "It’s going to be hard to start next semester, to know that two of our classmates, they weren’t able to see the first snow and they won’t be able to realize their dreams," she concluded.
