Claudio Manuel Neves Valente — once a top student in Portugal who graduated from Instituto Superior Técnico and represented his country at the 1995 International Physics Olympiad — is suspected in a Brown University mass shooting that killed two students and an earlier fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro. His body was found in a Salem, New Hampshire, storage unit of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators, working with Portuguese authorities and following tips including a Reddit lead, say motive remains unknown.
Former Top Portuguese Student Suspected in Brown, MIT-Area Killings Found Dead in New Hampshire
Brown shooting suspect was once a top student in Portugal with a promising future
Decades before a multi-day manhunt across New England ended with his body discovered in a storage unit, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente was regarded as an academic standout in Portugal. Enrolled at Instituto Superior Técnico — one of Portugal’s most selective engineering schools — he graduated near the top of his class and represented Portugal at the 1995 International Physics Olympiad.
U.S. authorities say Neves Valente, 48, is suspected of two fatal attacks: a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, that left two students dead and nine others wounded, and the fatal shooting of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno Loureiro at his Brookline, Massachusetts, home. Investigators found Neves Valente’s body in a Salem, New Hampshire, storage unit; officials say he appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Background And Academic Record
Neves Valente and Loureiro both attended Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, where Neves Valente earned an exceptional final average of 19 out of 20, according to the school. He also represented Portugal at the 1995 International Physics Olympiad in Canberra, Australia. Colleagues from the school described Loureiro as a brilliant colleague and leading fusion scientist.
Claudio Neves Valente, suspect in the Brown University shooting in Providence, Rhode Island. (Providence Police / via Reuters)
Connections To Brown And Timeline
According to a Providence police affidavit, Neves Valente attended Brown University’s physics Ph.D. program from August 2000 through spring 2001 on a student visa. He requested a leave of absence in 2001 and ultimately withdrew in 2003; Brown has said he did not earn a degree and had no current affiliation with the university. During his three semesters at Brown, he likely spent time in Barus & Holley, the building where the Providence shooting occurred.
Other Known Details
- Public records indicate Neves Valente became a U.S. legal permanent resident in 2017 and has lived in Las Vegas and, more recently, Miami.
- An FBI affidavit says he rented a hotel room in Boston twice in late November.
- Investigators say a tip posted on Reddit and cooperation from the Portuguese Criminal Police helped lead authorities to Neves Valente following the shootings.
Victims And Community Response
The two Brown students killed were identified as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook. Umurzokov, from Uzbekistan, was remembered by family as kind and academically gifted; Cook, from Birmingham, Alabama, had served as vice president of Brown’s College Republicans and was described by her church as a bright, faithful presence. Colleagues and friends at Instituto Superior Técnico mourned Loureiro as a devoted researcher and mentor in plasma physics and fusion science.
Note: Authorities have not publicly announced a motive. Investigations by U.S. and Portuguese law enforcement are ongoing.
This article is based on reporting from multiple sources, including NBC News and statements from law enforcement and academic institutions.
