Claudio Neves Valente, 48, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a rented storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire. Authorities say Valente was responsible for a mass shooting at Brown University that killed two and wounded nine, and for the later killing of MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro. A tip from a member of the public, vehicle evidence and swapped license plates helped lead investigators to the suspect. Valente had been a Brown graduate student in 2000–2001 and obtained U.S. lawful permanent residency in 2017.
Suspect In Brown University Mass Shooting Found Dead In New Hampshire Storage Unit
Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead on Thursday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.Photograph: Providence Police/Reuters
Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and former Brown student, was found dead Thursday evening in a rented storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, authorities said. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said Valente died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and, as investigators currently understand it, acted alone.
At a separate briefing in Boston, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said investigators allege Valente also killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology physics professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, who was shot at his home two days after the attack on Brown’s campus.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said officers found Valente with a bag and two firearms, and that investigators recovered evidence in a vehicle linked to him that "matches exactly what we see at the scene here in Providence." Neronha said a tip from a member of the public played a key role in locating the suspect.
"A person came forward after officials released a photo and provided information that led us to a vehicle and a name," Neronha told reporters. "The photographs of the car renter matched the clothing and satchel seen in Providence."
Investigators said the vehicle had been fitted with different license plates at different times — including Maine and Florida plates — a step Neronha said the suspect took to try to evade detection.
Brown University President Christina Paxson said Valente had been enrolled in Brown’s graduate physics program from fall 2000 through spring 2001 but had no current affiliation with the university. Paxson noted that some physics courses require access to specialized equipment stored in the building where the shooting occurred.
The campus shooting on Saturday left two people dead and nine others wounded. The victims who died were later identified by family as Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama who served as vice president of Brown’s College Republicans chapter, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a first-year student from Uzbekistan who hoped to become a neurosurgeon.
Authorities said the investigation shifted when they pursued a possible connection between the Brown attack and the slaying of Professor Loureiro near Boston two days later. Ted Docks, the FBI special agent in charge in Boston, said investigators believe the suspect and the MIT professor had attended the same university in Lisbon.
Neronha added that Valente obtained lawful permanent resident status in September 2017. Confirmation of the suspect’s death came after dozens of law enforcement officers gathered at the storage facility in Salem; journalists reported tactical teams entering the complex shortly before 8 p.m.
The manhunt resumed intensity on Monday after the state attorney general said a person of interest who had been briefly detained was released — a development Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said would understandably renew anxiety in the community. Officials also said the FBI director faced criticism for praising the bureau’s initial work on social media after the first arrest, which was later found to be incorrect.
Investigators continue to piece together the timeline and motives, and law enforcement officials urged anyone with additional information to come forward.
