A tragic shooting incident at Brown University has left two students dead and several others injured. The suspect, identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, is also linked to the murder of an MIT physics professor.
Details of the Shooting Incident
The Brown University shooting occurred on December 16, 2025, resulting in the deaths of 19-year-old Ella Cook and 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. Nine additional individuals sustained injuries during the attack.
Just two days later, on December 18, Valente was implicated in the fatal shooting of Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a professor at MIT. This occurred at Loureiro’s residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, approximately 50 miles from Brown University.
Suspect Background
Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, was originally from Torres Novas, Santarem, Portugal. He immigrated to the United States in 2000 as a graduate student on an F-1 visa for his PhD in physics at Brown. After a leave of absence, he officially withdrew from the program in 2003.
In 2017, Valente received a Diversity Immigrant Visa, which allowed him to become a legal permanent resident of the U.S. His last known address was in Miami, Florida.
Connection to Victims
Valente and the MIT professor, Loureiro, shared an academic background, having studied together in Portugal from 1995 to 2000.
Investigative Breakthrough
Law enforcement received vital information from a Reddit post made on December 16, three days after the Brown shooting. The anonymous author, referred to as “John,” reported sightings of a suspect with a gray Nissan rental car.
- The car had Florida license plates.
- John described seeing Valente about two hours before the shooting.
- Valente was noted to be dressed in inadequate clothing for the weather.
According to the affidavit, John later approached police, detailing his interactions with Valente on campus.
Final Days of the Suspect
Authorities tracked Valente to a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, where he was found deceased following the investigations.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha expressed the unfortunate reality, stating, “While we’ll never be able to prosecute this individual, I hope this result begins to provide some small measure of closure for the victims and their families.”
Conclusion
The tragic events surrounding the shootings at Brown University and MIT have devastated communities and raised concerns regarding campus safety. Investigations continue as law enforcement seeks to piece together Valente’s motive and actions leading up to these violent incidents.
