Law enforcement officers are seen outside a storage facility where a suspect in the shooting at Brown University was found dead. [Reba Saldanha/AP Photo]
The suspect in the Brown University shooting, Claudio Neves Valente, has been found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities believe he was also responsible for the killing of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, two days after the Brown University shooting.
Valente attended Brown University as a Ph.D. student in physics over two decades ago and was a former classmate of Loureiro in Portugal. The motive behind the killings remains unknown, with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stating, “I don’t think we have any idea why now, or why Brown, or why these students, why this classroom”.
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The Shooting At Brown University
On December 13, Valente entered a Brown University building used for engineering and physics programs and fired at least 44 rounds from his 9mm pistol, killing two students and injuring nine others. He then fatally shot Loureiro inside his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, before disappearing.
Authorities found two guns, including the 9mm pistol used in the killings, by Valente’s corpse. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said investigators had evidence making them certain Valente murdered Loureiro.
The Trump administration has announced plans to halt the Diversity Immigrant Visa program’s lottery system, citing Valente’s permanent residency status. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country”.
Investigation Crackdown
Valente used sophisticated methods to evade capture, including a hard-to-track phone and switching license plates on his rental car. A witness provided crucial information, identifying Valente’s rental car and leading police to the storage facility.
Valente’s academic background includes studying physics at Brown University and attending the same academic program as Loureiro in Portugal. Brown University President Christina Paxson said Valente had no current affiliation with the university.
The investigation revealed Valente’s movements, including accessing the internet near Loureiro’s home on the day of the murder. Police believe Valente acted alone.
The Brown University shooting left two students dead and nine injured. The victims were identified as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
A witness described Valente as “extremely suspicious” and followed him out of the building. This led police to identify Valente’s rental car and track him down.
Valente’s death marks the end of a five-day manhunt. Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the killings.
The FBI previously stated there were no links between the Brown University shooting and the MIT professor’s killing. However, evidence now suggests Valente was responsible for both.
Valente’s actions have raised questions about the Diversity Immigrant Visa program. The Trump administration’s decision to halt the program has sparked debate.
The investigation into Valente’s actions remains open, with authorities seeking to understand his motives.
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