A search for the suspect in a mass shooting at Brown University concluded on Thursday when authorities discovered his body in a storage facility in New Hampshire. Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old former student, was also implicated in the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro. Valente was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Colonel Oscar Perez, the police chief in Providence.
The violence began on March 9, 2024, when Valente allegedly opened fire in a lecture hall at Brown University, fatally injuring two students and wounding nine others. Two days later, he is believed to have killed Loureiro at the professor’s home in Brookline, located approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the university. Investigators assert that Valente acted alone in both incidents.
Background and Investigation
Valente was enrolled at Brown University as a graduate student studying physics between the fall of 2000 and the spring of 2001. Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that he had no current affiliation with the institution. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley noted that Valente and Loureiro had both attended a university program in Portugal from 1995 to 2000.
Loureiro, who joined MIT in 2016, led the school’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, working on projects related to solar flares and other astronomical phenomena. His academic background includes graduating from the Instituto Superior Técnico, a leading engineering school in Portugal, in 2000. Valente had a troubled academic history; he was dismissed from the same university in Portugal in early 2000.
Valente obtained legal permanent resident status in the United States in September 2017, following a period of uncertainty regarding his immigration status after taking a leave of absence from Brown. His last known residence was in Miami. Following the revelation of Valente’s identity, former President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery that enabled him to remain in the U.S.
Details of the Search and Capture
Authorities credited a crucial tip from an individual who had multiple encounters with Valente, which helped lead to his identification. This witness recognized Valente from images released by the police and shared information on the social media platform Reddit. Investigators were eventually able to connect the tip to surveillance footage showing Valente’s movements, including a Nissan sedan with Florida license plates.
After leaving Rhode Island, Valente altered the rental car’s license plate to conceal his identity. Surveillance footage captured him entering an apartment building near Loureiro’s residence and later entering the storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, where he was ultimately found deceased. At the time of his death, he was in possession of a satchel and two firearms, according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha.
As investigations continue, questions remain about the motive behind the shootings. Neronha stated that there are still “a lot of unknowns” regarding why Valente chose Brown University, the specific classroom, and the victims.
While Brown University has an extensive network of over 1,200 cameras on campus, the attack occurred in an older section of the engineering building where surveillance may have been limited. Investigators believe Valente may have entered and exited through a door facing a residential street, which could explain the lack of recorded footage.
The investigation into this tragic series of events highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in preventing targeted attacks and understanding the motivations behind them.
