Brown University shooting suspect found dead, officials say

The suspect in the Brown University mass shooting who’s also accused of killing an MIT professor was a former student at Brown and a Portuguese national.

Claudio Neves Valente, 48, studied at Brown around 2000-2001 on an F1 visa, according to federal prosecutor Leah Foley. An F1 is a non-immigrant visa for international students to study full-time.

He also entered the US through a diversity lottery immigrant visa program in 2017 and was granted a green card, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X Thursday night.

Details about Neves Valente’s whereabouts between 2001 and 2017 weren’t immediately available.

After Neves Valente was identified as the suspect in both shootings, Noem ordered the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the diversity lottery immigrant visa program.

Under the program, up to 55,000 immigrants can enter the US each year from countries with low rates of immigration to the US, the State Department’s website says.

Neves Valente did not appear to have any prior criminal record in the US, Foley said. His body was found at a New Hampshire storage facility Thursday night after he took his own life, authorities said.

Instituto Superior Técnico campus in Lisbon, Portugal in 2019.

Claudio Neves Valente, the named suspect in Saturday’s Brown University shooting, was enrolled in the same undergraduate degree program and university in Portugal at the same time as the MIT professor he’s suspected of killing on Monday, the Portuguese school, Instituto Superior Técnico, confirmed.

IST, colloquially known as just Técnico, said Neves Valente “was a student at Técnico, studying for a degree in Technological Physics Engineering between 1995 and 2000” — at the same time as the victim, Nuno Loureiro.

Loureiro earned a degree in Technological Physics Engineering from Técnico, and was a researcher at the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion, where he led the Theory and Modeling group, the university said, adding it deeply regretted the news of his death.

IST also expressed its “deepest respect for the pain of Nuno Loureiro’s family and friends, without commenting on ongoing police investigations and matters of justice.”

“We are grateful,” the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said in a release Friday morning, thanking all who played a role in identifying and tracking down the suspect in Monday’s killing of Nuno Loureiro, a professor of nuclear science and engineering and of physics at MIT.

“Our community continues to mourn and remember Nuno — an incredible scientist, colleague, mentor, and friend,” the university said. “Our thoughts are also with the Brown University community, which suffered so much loss this week.”

“As the authorities work to answer remaining questions, our continuing position is to refer to the law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney of Massachusetts for information. For now, our focus is on our community, on Nuno’s family, and all those who knew him,” MIT said.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley speaks during a press conference in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 15.

The tipster who authored an anonymous post on the Providence Reddit board, pointing investigators to the suspect’s vehicle, is the same individual seen in the photo released by Providence Police two days ago as they sought to talk to the man they believed to have been “in proximity” to the suspect, according to Mayor Brett Smiley.

The tipster is a graduate of Brown University, but little else is known about him at this point, Smiley said, adding that the man was “critical” to the case.

“Certainly, everybody in Providence owes this individual a debt of gratitude,” the mayor told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on “CNN News Central.”

“It was really a critical turning point, and this was an individual who stepped up and stepped forward for all the right reasons, probably with legitimate fear for what that might mean for his safety, but he did it for all the right reasons,” the mayor said. “So on behalf of the city of Providence, we are grateful to this guy.”

The dayslong manhunt for the Brown University mass shooter and the gunman who killed an MIT professor ended when he was found dead at a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, authorities said. But the motives behind the killings remain a mystery.

Former Brown University student Cláudio Neves Valente, 48, opened fire on the campus last Saturday, killing two people and injuring nine others, according to investigators. Two days later, authorities said, he killed MIT professor Nuno Loureiro at his home.

Law enforcement officials found an abandoned car with a license plate believed to be connected to Neves Valente in Salem, New Hampshire. Neves Valente took his own life at the storage facility, police said.

The gunman attended Brown University as a graduate student for three semesters, but did not complete a degree. A trove of ballistic evidence, including dozens of shell casings, helped investigators connect Neves Valente to the mass shooting at the school.

It’s not clear whether Neves Valente had a personal or professional relationship with Loureiro, but authorities say he targeted the MIT professor. Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, was a teaching assistant at Instituto Superior Técnico until 2000, CNN Portugal reported. Loureiro was enrolled in the same academic program between 1995 and 2000.

Prior to the killings, Neves Valente did not appear to have any criminal record in the United States, US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley said.

This undated photo provided this month by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows Nuno Loureiro.

Cláudio Neves Valente – the gunman responsible for killing MIT professor Nuno Loureiro at his Boston-area home – briefly overlapped with Loureiro as physics students in Portugal, but there is no indication the two had any relationship beyond that shared time on campus, according to CNN Portugal.

Neves Valente was a teaching assistant at Instituto Superior Técnico until his contract was terminated by its president, João Hipólito, on February 29, 2000, the outlet reported. Loureiro was enrolled in the same academic program between 1995 and 2000, when he graduated with his physics degree.

Neves Valente then headed to Brown University to pursue graduate studies in physics, CNN Portugal reports. He became a lawful permanent US resident in 2017. His last known address was in Miami.

Prosecutors have not confirmed whether Neves Valente and Loureiro had any ongoing personal or professional relationship later in life.

Brown University student Zoe Weissman, a two‑time survivor of mass shootings, said the identification of the suspect has eased some immediate anxiety, though it does little to ease the wider fear of gun violence.

“I definitely think there’s some immediate relief in the sense that this investigation was kind of looming over a lot of us mentally,” she told CNN’s Kim Brunhuber on Friday.

“Even though the shooter in our specific shooting has been found and that threat is eliminated, the threat of gun violence continues to exist.”

Weissman, who also survived the Parkland shooting in 2018 as a 12‑year‑old, said her prior experience and treatment have helped her cope, but “it shouldn’t have to be that way.”

She criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to tie the attack to immigration, saying it distracts from the central issue.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the Trump administration finds any excuse possible to twist a tragedy like this into something that will fit their own agenda. Obviously, the issue is not immigration, it’s guns,” she said.

“I think that this is really just an excuse for the Trump administration to do what they want without any regard for our safety.”

Claudio Valente, the suspect in Brown University shooting, at a rental car place in Boston, Massachusetts.

Claudio Neves Valente, the suspect in the Brown University shooting and the killing of an MIT professor, had no known criminal record in the US, authorities said Thursday.

“We are not aware of any criminal record in the United States,” US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, said at a news conference.

Neves Valente used a Florida driver’s license to rent the Nissan Sentra in Boston, according to the affidavit.

A large trove of ballistic evidence gathered inside the Brown University auditorium, where two people were killed in Saturday’s mass shooting, is now central to investigators’ reconstruction of the attack and their case against the gunman, Claudio Neves Valente, according to a newly released affidavit.

Investigators recovered “44 spent 9‑millimeter shell casings, one unfired cartridge casing, and numerous projectiles and projectile fragments,” the affidavit said.

Fifteen spent shell casings were discovered in the hallway of the Barus and Holley building and 29 spent casings were found in Tanner auditorium, where students reported hearing multiple gunshots, it added.

Police also found two high capacity magazines in the auditorium, with capacities of around 30, it said.

Earlier, Providence police said the gun used in the attack was a nine-millimeter firearm, a common caliber often used in violent crimes.

Investigators have mapped Claudio Neves Valente’s movements in the years before the Brown University shooting and the murder of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro. Here’s what they have uncovered so far, according to US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley:

Correction: A previous version of this post misstated when Claudio Neves Valente studied at Brown. It was from 2000 to 2001.

Claudio Neves Valente, suspect in the Brown University shooting in Providence, in this undated handout image released on Thursday.

The suspected Brown University shooter was only connected to the killing of an MIT professor several days later as he was “sophisticated in hiding his tracks,” according to prosecutors.

Claudio Neves Valente, who police have identified as a suspect in both crimes, is believed to have used an untraceable phone and avoided credit cards in his own name, said US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley.

Investigators suspect Neves Valente may have used European SIM cards through a US provider, making it difficult to track his location in real-time, Foley said at a Thursday news conference.

Authorities are also investigating a fake license plate Neves Valente used. Police believe it was an unregistered, likely old Maine plate, but its origin is still unknown, according to Foley.

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee attends a press conference following a shooting at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, on Sunday.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee praised “the team of local, state, and federal law enforcement for their extraordinary collaboration and professionalism,” following the announcement that the Brown University shooting suspect had been found dead.

“As we continue to support Brown University and the Providence community through the process of healing, our hearts remain with the victims and their families whose lives have been forever changed,” McKee said in a statement Thursday night.

“In this difficult moment, we saw heartbreaking tragedy, but we also saw Rhode Island come together—and together will be the way forward,” the statement read.

Brown University President Christina Paxson attends a news conference to announce the Brown University shooting suspect was found dead, in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday.

The Brown University shooting suspect attended the school for three semesters as a graduate student and had no active affiliation with the university at the time of Saturday’s shooting, President Christina H. Paxson said in a statement Thursday night.

“Neves Valente was admitted to Brown’s Graduate School to study in the Sc.M-PhD program in physics,” the statement read, noting he was enrolled from Fall 2000 to Spring 2001. He then took a leave of absence and formally withdrew from the university effective July 31, 2003.

“During his time at Brown, Neves Valente was enrolled only in physics classes, and it is likely that he would have taken courses and spent time in Barus & Holley,” Paxson said, referring to the building where the shooting took place.

“Nothing can fully bring closure to the lives that have been shattered by last weekend’s gun violence. Now, however, our community has the opportunity to move forward and begin a path of repair, recovery and healing,” the statement, which came after police announced the suspect was found dead, said.

The United States’ immigration agency has been directed to pause its diversity visa lottery program (DV1) after the suspect in the Brown University shooting was found to have entered the country via the program, said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Claudio Neves Valente entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program in 2017 and was granted a green card, said Noem in an X post on Thursday night.

Neves Valente, the deceased suspect, was a 48-year-old former Brown University student and Portuguese national.

Under the diversity visa program, up to 55,000 immigrants can enter the United States each year from countries with low rates of immigration to the US, according to the State Department’s website.

Investigators believe Brown University shooting suspect Claudio Neves Valente specifically targeted MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, a law enforcement official told CNN on Thursday.

Neves Valente was responsible for the killing of Loureiro at his Brookline, Massachusetts, home days after the campus attack, according to prosecutors. Neves Valente previously attended the same academic program as Loureiro in Portugal, between 1995 and 2000.

Investigators do not currently believe the two people killed at Brown – where the suspect was a student in the early 2000s – were direct targets, said the law enforcement official. The two victims who were killed, aged 18 and 19, were students at Brown University.

Investigators still have no clear sense of what motivated the Brown University shooting, Providence Police Chief Oscar L. Perez Jr. said Thursday.

“It’s very difficult to know much about an individual when you don’t know their identity and their name. We do now, obviously, so we’ll do that job,” he said.

Perez described how a key witness, a Brown graduate familiar with the campus, helped clarify what detectives were seeing in early surveillance footage.

The witness told police he had seen a suspicious person inside a Brown building and followed him. He also provided a description of the vehicle of the man, a detail investigators later confirmed through automated plate readers.

Law enforcement officers are seen outside a storage facility where a suspect in the shooting at Brown University was found dead, on Thursday.

A rental car trail, a storage unit, extensive security footage and a financial probe reveal how investigators connected alleged Brown University shooter Claudio Neves Valente to the murder of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro.

At a Thursday news conference, US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, detailed how these pieces of evidence enabled police to link the two killings which occurred two days and around 50 miles apart.

Investigators believe Neves Valente rented a car in Boston, then drove to Providence , Rhode Island, where the the vehicle was seen near Brown University, Foley said. The car was observed intermittently between December 1 and December 12, she added.

“On December 13, Neves Valente entered an auditorium on Brown University’s campus during a study session and began shooting at students, killing Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, and injuring nine others,” she added.

Within 24 hours, Neves Valente returned to Massachusetts, where he switched his car’s plates to an unregistered Maine plate and murdered Loureiro on December 15, Foley said.

“There was security footage that captured him within a half mile of the professor’s residence in Brookline and there is video footage of him entering an apartment building in the location of the professor’s apartment,” she said.

Around an hour later, she added, Neves Valente was seen entering a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, wearing “the same clothes that he had been seen wearing right after the murder.”

The evidence, detailed in an unsealed federal complaint, was shared to reassure the public that law enforcement is confident they have identified the person responsible for both killings, and that this individual is now dead, Foley said.

All six survivors of the Brown University shooting who remain in the hospital are now in stable condition, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

One person had been in critical but stable condition a day earlier. Nine people were injured in Saturday’s attack.

Clarification: This post has been updated to reflect those released from the hospital.

Law enforcement officers are seen outside a storage facility where a suspect in the shooting at Brown University was found dead, on Thursday.

Investigators knew who the suspect was yesterday and that he had rented a car in Boston, according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha. From there, they weighed how to find the shooter without tipping him off.

Neronha said officials looked to see if the suspect was going to return the rental car in Boston or in Connecticut. Eventually, the suspect did not return the car anywhere, he said.

And as of this afternoon, Neronha said authorities “were going back and forth” on best measures to take to keep their search under wraps.

He said ultimately police “developed evidence as to where he was.”

“We decided to pursue that location and there, we found the car with those multiple plates that we were looking for,” he said.

Investigators say two early clues – a campus custodian’s observations and an anonymous Reddit post – helped narrow their search for Brown University shooting suspect Claudio Neves Valente, according to a newly released affidavit.

A university’s custodian told detectives he had noticed a suspicious person with a surgical mask whose clothing matched images police had released several times in the weeks prior to the shooting. The man “walked with a limp,” the affidavit said.

Detectives later reviewed university surveillance footage from Dec. 1 and found a figure consistent with the general description of the suspect.

Two weeks later, on Tuesday, police received an anonymous alert pointing investigators to a post on the Providence Reddit board, in which a user said they saw the suspected shooter walking in the area.

“I’m being dead serious. The police need to look into the guy Nissan with Florida plates, possibly a rental. That was the car he was driving,” the user wrote, adding that it was parked alongside a small outbuilding near the Rhode Island Historical Society, a block from the earlier sighting.

The Reddit user, identified by officials as the man believed to have been “in proximity” to the person of interest, approached Providence Police, the affidavit said.

When investigators re‑examined camera footage, they found a car partially obscured by the property’s trees, aligning with both the Reddit tip and earlier video of the suspect’s movements. The car was rented to Neves Valente, the affidavit said.