Tangle Podcast Summary

Episode: The Shooting at Brown University
Host: Ari Weitzman (for Isaac Saul)
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Tangle centers on the mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where two students were killed and at least nine others were injured. The podcast follows its trademark format, seeking to present a comprehensive, non-partisan review: it summarizes facts, presents views from the left and right, reports on the Brown community's reaction, and concludes with personal commentary from Tangle's Ari Weitzman.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Shooting: What Happened

• Incident Recap

  • On Saturday, a gunman entered a classroom at Brown University where students were reviewing for a final exam and opened fire.
  • Killed: Ella Cook (19, sophomore, Vice President of College Republicans, from Alabama) and Mohammad Aziz Umurzikov (18, freshman, biochemistry and neuroscience major, from Virginia, Uzbek immigrant).
  • Wounded: At least nine others.
  • Location: Barrison Holly Engineering Building, Providence, RI.
  • The suspect fled and was not immediately captured; a manhunt ensued. The initial “person of interest” detained was later released.

• Ongoing Investigation

  • The FBI released photos of another person of interest (described as a 5'8" male with a stocky build) and offered a $50,000 reward.
  • Authorities have not confirmed the motive or weapon, though a handgun is suspected. Security camera feeds were not linked to Providence police, hampering real-time response.
  • The campus community and broader public remain unsettled.

“It just feels really surreal.” – Hannah Berner, reflecting on reactions from the Brown community (05:27)

What the Left Is Saying

• Gun Violence as a National Crisis

  • Many on the left frame this as yet another mass shooting symptomatic of America’s gun crisis.
  • Will Bunch (Philadelphia Inquirer) calls it a “gutting reminder that no one is safe until we tackle America’s gun crisis,” arguing that prayers are not enough and advocating for a new assault weapons ban (09:48).
  • Some critique President Trump’s and federal officials’ response as insufficient and overly performative.

• Criticism of FBI Director's Communication

  • Olivia Maines & Benjamin Witts (Lawfare) criticize FBI Director Kash Patel for making premature public statements about the investigation, warning these disclosures can undermine civil liberties and public trust (09:48).
  • Quote:

    “Premature disclosures have civil liberties implications for people who may turn out to be innocent… they also have credibility implications because you can only announce so many times that you've caught a suspect... before the word of the FBI… starts being meaningless.” – Maines & Witts (09:48)

What the Right Is Saying

• Skepticism about Further Gun Control

  • Right-leaning commentators point out Rhode Island’s strict gun laws (universal background checks, red flag laws, assault weapons ban), arguing the laws still failed to prevent this event, so further controls may be ineffective (09:48).
  • Peter Laffin (Washington Examiner) writes:

    “To ascribe fundamental blame to guns or gun laws in either case is deeply disconnected from reality and cynically manipulative… There is no way to ban guns, as progressives like to pretend…” (09:48)

• Questions about Motive and Investigation

  • Jim Geraghty (National Review) points to unanswered questions—possible connections to the professor’s Jewish background, links to recent antisemitism, and issues with campus security and surveillance.
  • Emphasis on lack of clear motive, inability of security infrastructure, and the community’s resultant fear.

“It is hard to begrudge the communities of Brown University or Providence for feeling less than safe.” – Jim Geraghty (09:48)

Voices from the Brown Community

• Loss of Innocence & Grief

  • Students express shock and a sense of irrevocable loss; the idea that “it can happen anywhere” has now hit home (09:48).
  • Victoria Zhang (The Free Press, Brown student):

    “We now find ourselves on a list of schools that grows longer by the day—a list no one wants to be on…” (09:48)

• Impact on Campus Memory & Vigil

  • Students will forever associate affected buildings and locations with tragedy, not just academia and student life.
  • Zhang describes a newfound gratitude for responders and a candlelight vigil originally scheduled as a Hanukkah menorah lighting, now reimagined to honor the deceased (09:48).

• Alumna’s Reflections on Shattered Safety

  • Nidhi Bhaskar (Providence Journal):

    “Before this week… I described my beloved Providence as the safest place in the world… And yet it does happen. Over and over again in communities all around the world.” (09:48)

Host’s Analysis & Personal Take

Ari Weitzman’s Commentary (18:47)

• Emotional Exhaustion and Frustration with “Routine”

  • Ari laments the “rote checklist” response to mass shootings:
    1. Express frustration at the frequency
    2. Empathize with victims
    3. Attempt caution to avoid misinformation
    4. Anticipate little real change

• Human Cost and the Aftermath

  • Ari details the devastation felt by families, students, and the larger campus community, noting that “Brown University... will now forever share a sentence with schools like Virginia Tech, Columbine, Sandy Hook…”
  • Reflects personally, referencing his own cousin’s murder in the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, and connections to Brown through coaching college sports.
  • Quote:

    “They deserve so much more than bullets during finals week.” (19:38)
    “A gray wall in our heads and hearts that protects us from truly feeling what it means to be splintered, fundamentally altered forever.” (19:14)

• Caution Against Misinformation

  • Urges restraint and skepticism regarding rumors and Internet theories about the shooter’s motive or identity. Specifically warns against rushing to link the incident to political or ethnic tensions without facts (20:42).
  • Cites problematic social media speculation and university statements warning about dangerous doxxing.

• Critique of Institutional Response

  • Criticizes FBI Director Patel for making premature and misleading statements, saying:

    “When the FBI director tweets out messages that give false assurances, which are then rescinded... that fractures that confidence.”

  • Stresses that clear, measured updates from authorities give communities comfort and foster trust.

• Concluding Reflection

  • Ultimately, Ari is pessimistic about the prospect for real reform:

    “No legislation or change or reckoning with our culture is coming. Today is Brown University. Tomorrow it’ll be somewhere different. Just hope it’s not where you are.” (25:47)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It just feels really surreal. Parents, staff members and students all reacting to the mass shooting at Brown University…” – Hannah Berner (05:27)
• “You could... ask Congress to ban the kinds of assault weapons that aren't used to hunt deer yet are all too effective at mowing down college students...” – Will Bunch (09:48)
• “To ascribe fundamental blame to guns or gun laws in either case is deeply disconnected from reality and cynically manipulative.” – Peter Laffin (09:48)
• “We now find ourselves on a list of schools that grows longer by the day—a list no one wants to be on.” – Victoria Zhang (09:48)
• “They deserve so much more than bullets during finals week.” – Ari Weitzman (19:38)
• “When the FBI director tweets out messages that give false assurances... that fractures that confidence.” – Ari Weitzman (22:53)
• “No legislation or change or reckoning with our culture is coming. Today is Brown University. Tomorrow it’ll be somewhere different. Just hope it’s not where you are.” – Ari Weitzman (25:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fact Recap & Quick Hits: 03:20 – 07:59
• Views from the Left: 09:48 – 13:20
• Views from the Right: 13:20 – 15:05
• Voices from Brown Community: 15:05 – 18:47
• Host’s Analysis (Ari’s Take): 18:47 – 25:59

Final Thoughts

This episode provides both a factual account and a moving reflection on the aftermath of yet another American mass shooting. The Tangle team, through voices from all sides and heartfelt commentary, emphasizes the complex mix of policy debates, institutional accountability, and personal heartbreak. The conclusion is somber: as the news cycle inevitably moves on to the next tragedy, communities are left to grieve, heal, and wonder what—if anything—will ever truly change.