Authorities in the United States have confirmed the death of the primary suspect in a tragic mass shooting at Brown University and the subsequent killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor. The suspect, identified as Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire.
The Tragic Attacks and Manhunt
The violent spree began with an attack on the campus of Brown University in Providence. Two students, MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, and Ella Cook, 19, were killed in the shooting, and nine others were wounded. Just two days later, MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was fatally shot at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
This triggered a massive, multi-state manhunt involving law enforcement from several jurisdictions and a $50,000 reward for information. The intensive search lasted for six days before culminating on the night of Thursday, December 18, when police located Valente in the New Hampshire storage unit.
The Crucial Tip from a University Custodian
The breakthrough in the case came from an unexpected source. A custodian at Brown University, who had reportedly had multiple encounters with Valente, recognized him as the person of interest after police released images. He posted his suspicions on Reddit, where he was a regular user.
Other users on the forum urged him to contact the FBI, which he confirmed he did. However, investigators did not interview him until days later, after they had publicized a video showing Valente appearing to run from another individual. The tipster returned to Reddit on Wednesday, December 17, to state he had finally been interviewed by authorities.
His information was critical. He provided details about a Nissan sedan with Florida license plates connected to the suspect. This allowed Providence police to track the vehicle using the city's network of over 70 street cameras. Authorities revealed the suspect later placed a Maine license plate over the rental car's original plates in an attempt to evade detection.
Investigating the Motive and Connections
While the immediate threat has ended, the motive behind the attacks remains unclear. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated there are still "a lot of unknowns", including why Brown University was targeted and why these specific students were attacked.
Investigators have established a connection between Valente and the slain MIT professor. Both men attended the same academic programme at a university in Portugal between 1995 and 2000. Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed Valente was enrolled at Brown as a graduate physics student from the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2001 but had no current affiliation with the institution.
Records indicate Valente was let go from a position at a university in Lisbon, Portugal, in February 2000. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez stated that, based on current evidence, they believe the 48-year-old acted alone in these violent acts.
