Suspect in Brown University shooting found dead in New Hampshire

Claudio Neves Valente, suspect in Brown University and MIT killings, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot

Authorities confirmed that Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown University student, was found dead Thursday in a New Hampshire storage facility. Officials said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Neves Valente is suspected of killing two students and injuring nine others at Brown University last Saturday, then fatally shooting MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro two days later at his Brookline home, nearly 50 miles from Providence. Investigators believe he acted alone.

Neves Valente had attended Brown as a graduate student studying physics from 2000 to 2001, but he had no current affiliation with the university. He and Loureiro previously studied at the same program in Portugal from 1995 to 2000. Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 and was last year appointed head of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

The suspect’s movements were traced with help from surveillance footage and a crucial tip from a Reddit user who recognized him after police posted images. Neves Valente reportedly attempted to conceal his identity by placing a Maine license plate over his rental car’s original plates. Video showed him entering Loureiro’s apartment area in Massachusetts before traveling to the storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, where he was found with a satchel and two firearms.

Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that the campus attack occurred in an older part of the engineering building with few cameras. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said motives remain unclear, noting that authorities are still investigating why Neves Valente targeted the university and specific individuals.

Following the revelation of Neves Valente’s identity, President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program that allowed him to remain in the U.S. Law enforcement officials emphasized that despite intensive efforts, capturing suspects in highly public, targeted attacks can take time, as seen in past cases such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and other mass shootings.