MIT professor Nuno Loureiro shot and killed in Brookline home, police say

Police investigate homicide after MIT professor found shot in Brookline home

An MIT professor was shot and killed inside his Brookline home Monday night, authorities said, as police continue to investigate the death as a homicide.

The victim was identified as Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, a professor of nuclear science and engineering and physics and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Officers responded to reports of a shooting on Gibbs Street, and Loureiro was taken to a local hospital, where he died early Tuesday.

The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said no arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.

MIT confirmed Loureiro’s death in a statement, expressing condolences to his family, students and colleagues and noting that campus support services have been made available. MIT police are assisting local authorities with the investigation.

A neighbor who heard gunshots called 911 and described seeing Loureiro in the building’s foyer before police arrived. By Tuesday afternoon, residents on Gibbs Street had placed signs inviting neighbors to light candles in his memory.

Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 after an international academic career spanning Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. Colleagues remembered him as a respected scientist, mentor and leader.