The six-day manhunt for the gunman who opened fire inside a Brown University engineering building, killing two students and wounding a dozen more, has now ended after authorities found the suspect dead inside a New Hampshire storage unit.
Law enforcement later revealed that his primary target was an MIT professor whom he murdered two days after the Ivy League shooting.
Officials identified the gunman as 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese national and former Brown graduate student who briefly pursued a master’s degree in physics more than 20 years ago.
His death came after a series of critical tips, including an anonymous Reddit post noting suspicious behavior near campus.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters:
“Tonight our Providence neighbors can breathe a little easier.”
A Multi-State Trail of Violence
The rampage began on December 13, when Neves Valente entered Brown’s Barus and Holley Building during a study session and opened fire, killing 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Virginia and 19-year-old Ella Cook of Alabama.
He unleashed 40 rounds, injuring 12 others before fleeing.
University President Christina Paxson said it was likely the gunman had taken classes in that building during his brief time at Brown, though the motive remains unclear.
Two days later, the violence escalated.
On December 15, Neves Valente allegedly traveled to Boston and fatally shot MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro, a married father of three and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
Authorities said the killer and Loureiro attended the same Portuguese institution from 1995 to 2000, raising new questions about motive and premeditation.
Neighbors recalled hearing gunfire inside Loureiro’s home.
One, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing the shots: she and others rushed to dial 911, but Loureiro died the next day.
MIT described Loureiro as “a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist” who left behind “many devoted students, friends, and colleagues.”
Critical Breaks in the Case
Investigators say a Reddit post proved instrumental in identifying the suspect’s vehicle:
“I’m being dead serious.
“The police need to look into a grey Nissan with Florida plates, possibly a rental…
“It was parked in front of the little shack behind the Rhode Island Historical Society on the Cooke side.”
A homeless witness, identified only as “John” in an affidavit, also provided key details, describing the suspect’s unusual clothing, erratic behavior, and the gray Nissan he unlocked before circling the block.
When shown images of the car, John responded, “Holy st, that might be it!”**
He later confirmed video stills looked consistent with the man he encountered.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said:
“That person led us to the car, which led us to the name, which led us to the photographs of that individual renting the car.”
Investigators soon tied the Brown shooting and Loureiro’s killing together after Massachusetts officers noted that a car of interest in the professor’s murder matched the one sought in Rhode Island, despite a different license plate.
Surveillance footage also captured the suspect near the professor’s home and later entering a New Hampshire storage facility.
The Final Hours
On December 19, police located the gray Nissan outside a Salem, New Hampshire, storage center.
They obtained a warrant and entered the unit.
Inside, officers found Neves Valente dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was carrying a satchel with two firearms and evidence consistent with the Brown shooting.
Neronha said, “He was found dead with a satchel, with two firearms and evidence in the car that matches exactly what we see here in Providence.”
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said the suspect had taken substantial steps to obscure his identity, using credit cards not in his name, avoiding cameras, and employing a cellphone designed to mask location data.
Still, investigators tracked him through digital footprints, surveillance footage, and witness accounts.
Impact Across Two Cities
The Brown University shooting, carried out in an unlocked building during exams, sparked scrutiny over campus security.
Paxson insisted the lack of cameras did not impede the investigation.
The MIT community held a candlelit vigil for Loureiro, and President Sally Kornbluth acknowledged the broader context of violence.
“This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places,” she wrote.
Authorities continue to investigate the gunman’s motives and whether his two attacks were part of a broader plan tied to his past academic or personal history.
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