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A former Brown University student has criticized the Ivy League institution’s security preparedness following the recent campus shooting that claimed the life of his friend, Ella Cook, and another student before the gunman moved on to kill an MIT professor.
Alex Shieh, who previously served as publisher of the university’s student-run paper, the Brown Spectator, told Fox News Digital that the school’s inability to track the killer with security cameras reflects misguided spending priorities rather than financial limitations.
“I don’t think it’s particularly surprising that the old buildings on campus have never been retrofitted with updated security systems, because that’s not what the priorities are with the spending,” Shieh said. “It is sort of confusing to people that you have a school that costs $100,000 a year, you have an $8 billion endowment. How come the building doesn’t have cameras?”
The shooting at Brown occurred on November 13 when Claudio Neves-Valente entered campus and killed Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. Two days later, the gunman traveled to Brookline, Massachusetts, where he killed MIT nuclear physicist Nuno Loureiro. After evading authorities for several days, Neves-Valente was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a storage shed in Salem, New Hampshire.
Shieh’s criticism of Brown’s administrative spending practices stems from his own experiences with the university. During his time as a student, he launched an investigation into administrative costs by sending surveys to staff members, inspired by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. His actions drew disciplinary charges from the university, which claimed he was causing emotional harm and violating operational rules.
“There’s about 4,000 administrators at a school of about 11,000 students,” Shieh noted. “This struck me as odd, and it struck me very clear that this growth and ballooning in the number of staff administrators is what’s been leading to the cost of tuition rising precipitously all across the country, but particularly at a school like Brown University.”
The university ultimately dropped all charges against Shieh, but not before his case gained national attention and led to his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in June regarding free speech concerns and excessive Ivy League spending.
Security experts have noted that better surveillance systems might have helped authorities identify and apprehend the shooter more quickly. Law enforcement credited a homeless man living on Brown’s campus with providing crucial information that eventually led them to Neves-Valente, highlighting the absence of technological safeguards.
Shieh, who like Cook was a member of the school’s College Republicans, expressed shock at her murder. “She was just somebody who was very nice and everybody respected, and nobody really had a problem with her on campus, which is why it was so surprising that it happened to her, of all people,” he said.
The shooting has reignited debates about campus security protocols at elite universities. Security experts suggest that had Brown been equipped with better surveillance technology in the targeted facilities, the shooter might have been apprehended before the subsequent killing at MIT.
Shieh believes the university allocates its substantial resources inefficiently. “They use their money in really silly ways,” he said. “Like paying their athletic director of a small Ivy League school millions of dollars a year and having an inordinate amount of administrators on staff.”
The tragedy has prompted calls for universities nationwide to reassess their security infrastructure and emergency response capabilities. As investigators continue to piece together the events leading to the shootings, questions persist about how campus security protocols might be improved to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The case also highlights ongoing tensions between prestigious universities’ substantial endowments and tuition costs versus their actual spending on student safety and essential campus infrastructure—an issue Shieh had sought to bring attention to well before the tragic events unfolded.
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6 Comments
Troubling to hear about the security failures at Brown, especially with their substantial endowment. The former student’s criticisms about misaligned spending priorities seem justified. Improving campus safety should be a top concern for universities, regardless of their financial resources.
This is a heartbreaking situation. The former student’s comments about Brown’s security shortcomings and spending choices are understandable. With such significant resources, one would expect the university to have the latest safety measures in place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent future tragedies.
The former student’s criticism of Brown’s security preparedness and spending priorities raises valid points. It’s troubling that an $8 billion endowment didn’t translate to up-to-date security systems. Hopefully this tragedy leads to much-needed improvements in campus safety.
Tragic incident at Brown University. While security should be a priority, universities often face tough budget decisions that impact campus infrastructure. Hopefully this prompts a review of security systems and spending to prevent future tragedies.
It’s concerning to hear about the security lapses at an Ivy League institution. With such a large endowment, one would expect robust safety measures in place. Hopefully this serves as a wake-up call for Brown to reevaluate their spending priorities and allocate more resources towards campus security.
While the high cost of tuition at elite universities is often debated, it’s alarming to hear that security systems were neglected at Brown. This incident highlights the need for colleges to carefully balance academic priorities with ensuring the safety of their students and faculty.