Connecticut's state forensic lab deployed two compact kiosks — one for rapid DNA extraction and another for ballistic imaging — to assist Rhode Island investigators after the Dec. 13 Brown University shooting. A DNA profile was developed from spent shell casings but produced no match in the national CODIS database. Officials highlighted the state's statewide, 24/7 kiosk network and the ability to produce rapid preliminary results (about 90 minutes) while still submitting samples for conventional testing to meet evidentiary standards. A team of roughly a dozen Connecticut scientists supported the probe; two students were killed and the suspect was later found dead in New Hampshire.
Connecticut Forensic Lab Deploys Rapid‑DNA and Ballistics Kiosks in Brown University Shooting Investigation
Cheryl Carreiro, Deputy Director of Forensic Biology DNA, explains how DNA was processed at the state forensics lab to assist police in Rhode Island and the FBI investigation of the shooting at Brown University, in Meriden, Conn., on Friday December 19, 2025. The lab examined ballistics at the scene for DNA profiles. (Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media)
MERIDEN — Two compact desktop kiosks at Connecticut's forensic crime lab played a key role in support of the investigation into the Dec. 13 mass shooting at Brown University.
How The Kiosks Were Used
One machine performs rapid DNA extraction and profiling, while the other captures high‑resolution ballistic images to analyze microscopic markings on shell casings. Both devices were used to process shell casings and other evidence recovered from the scene.
Officials said the state lab was asked by the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office to assist, and a team of roughly a dozen Connecticut scientists was assigned to examine DNA and ballistic material related to the Brown shooting.
Findings And Forensic Workflow
Investigators were able to develop a DNA profile from spent shell casings recovered at Brown, though that profile produced no matches in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the national DNA database. Ballistic images captured by the kiosk are entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to help link casings to specific firearms and to identify connections with other shootings.
Connecticut officials noted the lab's ability to produce results far faster than traditional workflows: rapid DNA testing can yield initial results in about 90 minutes, while samples are still submitted for conventional laboratory testing to meet evidentiary standards.
Statewide Network And Capabilities
State officials said Connecticut has built a statewide network of both rapid‑DNA and ballistics kiosks. The compact, desktop units are available 24/7 to trained officers and are located not only in the state forensic lab but also in major municipal police departments, state police barracks and in a mobile unit that can be dispatched to scenes.
“I'm proud of what we do here and the fact that others rely on us and respect what we do,” said Guy Vallaro, director of the Division of Scientific Services.
Rick Green, a spokesman for the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said the lab has a reputation for "being fast and accurate, particularly with rapid DNA and ballistic analysis," and that it has been "working around the clock" to support the investigation.
Incident Details
More than 40 rounds were fired inside a Brown University engineering building, according to The Associated Press. Two students were killed: Ella Cook, a 19‑year‑old sophomore, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an 18‑year‑old freshman. Investigators later found the suspected shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, deceased inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire.
Connecticut officials emphasized that the state's role in this inquiry reflects its growing position as a regional forensic resource, and said it is uncommon but not unprecedented for the lab to assist out‑of‑state investigations — typically in major casualty events.
This article was updated to improve clarity and context about the forensic processes and the state's role in the investigation.
