The Providence Police credit a Reddit tipster known as "John" for supplying crucial details that linked surveillance, rental records and a vehicle to the suspect in the Brown University shooting and the subsequent killing of an MIT professor. John recognized the person of interest and a gray Nissan Sentra with Florida plates and provided information that helped investigators using more than 70 city cameras to trace the suspect. Police later found the suspected gunman, identified as Claudio Neves Valente, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The FBI would not confirm whether the tipster received the $50,000 reward.
Reddit Tipster Credited With Breaking Brown University Shooting Case, Police Say
Providence, R.I. — Police say information from a tipster known only as "John" was pivotal in identifying the suspect in a deadly shooting at Brown University and a subsequent slaying of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.
Investigators said the tipster provided specific observations and leads after posting on Reddit that he recognized a person of interest and a possible gray rental Nissan. That information helped police link surveillance footage, rental records and vehicle sightings that ultimately pointed to 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente.
How the Tip Advanced the Investigation
Authorities had been searching for a suspect after more than 40 rounds were fired inside a Brown engineering building. The community was anxious as officers worked to identify the shooter. According to a Providence police affidavit, the investigation accelerated after John came forward on Dec. 16 — three days after the initial shooting and one day after a tip line was established.
Police say John told investigators he had several encounters with Claudio Neves Valente in the days around the attack. He reported seeing Valente in a campus restroom hours before the shooting and later observed the man near a gray Nissan Sentra with Florida plates. John also identified what he believed to be the suspect in photos from an Alamo rental taken in November.
Once investigators reviewed additional surveillance footage — including video from a network of more than 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety — they were able to trace the vehicle and connect several movements to the suspect. Providence police say John was identified in surveillance images circulated by officers and then approached a Providence officer to give a formal interview, which set investigators on a rapid path to identifying the suspect.
"He blew this case right open," Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said, describing how John's information generated leads that led to the suspect nearly 24 hours later.
Outcome and Reward
Late Thursday, officers announced they had found the suspected gunman dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect has been identified as Claudio Neves Valente, 48.
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information after the Brown shooting, but the agency has a longstanding policy of not confirming the identity of individuals who provide tips or whether reward money has been paid. "The FBI maintains longstanding policy not to confirm the identity of individuals who assist the FBI by providing tips or information," the bureau told CBS News. Ted Docks, the FBI special agent in charge, told reporters it was "logical" that the tipster could be entitled to the reward, but the FBI declined to confirm payment.
John later posted on Reddit, "Respectfully, I have said all I have to say on the matter to the right people," and has otherwise maintained a low public profile as investigators closed the case.
