On December 13, 2025, a mass shooting shook Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. A gunman opened fire during a review session in the School of Engineering, killing two students and injuring nine others. The suspect was later connected to another killing the shooting of an MIT professor two days later in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Law enforcement identified the suspect as 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national. After a widespread multi-state manhunt, authorities found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire on December 18.
Officials confirmed the case is closed from a pursuit standpoint, but the motive remains unclear as the investigation continues.
The Brown University Attack
At about 4:00 p.m. EST on December 13, the suspect entered a classroom in the Engineering building at Brown University. He fired multiple shots, killing two students identified later by officials and wounding nine others during a final exam review session.
The victims included sophomore Ella Cook and freshman Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.
Providence Police, with support from the FBI and other agencies, responded immediately. Security footage showed a person dressed in dark clothing and minimal visible features. Authorities quickly released images seeking public help.
Connection to MIT Shooting
Two days after the Brown University attack, on December 15, Nuno Loureiro, a 47-year-old physics professor at MIT, was shot and killed at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Investigators later concluded that the Brown shooter and the MIT killing suspect were the same person Claudio Neves Valente. Officials believe the killings are linked through video, vehicle tracking, and other evidence.
Despite this link, authorities have said they do not yet know why he carried out the shootings or whether the victims were specifically targeted.
Who Was Claudio Neves Valente?
Authorities confirmed the suspect’s identity as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national. He briefly studied physics at Brown University as a graduate student in 2000–2001 but had no current affiliation with the school.
Valente gained legal permanent residency in the U.S. in 2017 and had lived in Miami, Florida, before the shootings. Law enforcement sources described him as acting alone.
Officials found a satchel with two firearms and other evidence linking him to the shootings when he was located in the storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire.
Manhunt and How He Was Found
After the Brown shooting, authorities released images and details seeking the public’s help. Surveillance footage of a gray Nissan Sentra with Florida plates seen near Brown University played a key role in identifying him.
A tip from a member of the public, including information shared on social media forums, helped investigators track the suspect’s movements and led them to connect the vehicle with Valente.
Police tracked his movements through security footage and rental car records, eventually finding him in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, where he was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound on December 18.
Response from Officials and Universities
Brown University canceled final exams and sent students home as the situation unfolded. University officials expressed grief and shock over the unprecedented violence on an Ivy League campus.
Rhode Island and Massachusetts law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, worked together on the case. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed officials are still trying to understand the motive behind the shootings.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley thanked the community for cooperation and efforts to aid the investigation.
What We Still Don’t Know
Despite the suspect’s death and closure of the search, many questions remain unanswered:
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Why did the gunman attack Brown University?
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Was there any personal connection to the victims?
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What motivated the MIT professor murder?
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Were there warning signs before the attacks?
Officials continue to investigate these aspects as they piece together the timeline and context.
Conclusion
The shootings at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor have sent shockwaves through academic communities and across the Northeast. Authorities identified Claudio Manuel Neves Valente as the suspected shooter. After a several-day search, Valente was found dead in a Salem, New Hampshire storage facility from an apparent self-inflicted wound.
As investigations continue, officials are focused on understanding the motive and ensuring campus safety in the future.