The suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and investigators have confirmed he also fatally shot a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor two days later.
Claudio Neves Valente, 48, was found dead Monday night in a storage rental facility in Salem, New Hampshire, where he had rented a unit in November, officials said.
Brown University Shooting and MIT Professor’s Death
Valente attended Brown University more than two decades ago as a PhD student in physics and was a former classmate in Portugal of the slain MIT professor, Nuno Loureiro, 47. Authorities stated that Valente’s motive in the killings remains unknown.
“I don’t think we have any idea why now, or why Brown, or why these students, why this classroom,” said Rhode Island Attorney-General Peter Neronha at a press conference Monday night in Providence.
On December 13, Valente entered a building used for Brown’s engineering and physics programs and fired at least 44 rounds from his 9mm pistol, killing two students and injuring nine others, according to the Providence police affidavit for his arrest. He then fatally shot Professor Loureiro inside his home before disappearing and prompting a five-day manhunt.
Two guns, including the 9mm pistol believed to be used in the shootings, were found near Valente’s body. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley stated in Boston that investigators have evidence confirming Valente murdered Professor Loureiro in his Brookline, Massachusetts home.
Valente was a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and had been living in Miami. Investigators determined he and Professor Loureiro had attended the same academic program at a university in Portugal from 1995 to 2000. Valente used a phone that was difficult to track and avoided using credit cards linked to his name, according to Foley.
“He was sophisticated in hiding his tracks,” she said. Valente also switched the license plates on his rental car in an attempt to evade capture.
While details about the evidence linking Valente to Professor Loureiro’s murder were limited, video footage showed Valente’s rental car near the professor’s home. The IP address associated with Valente’s phone was traced to the vicinity of the professor’s home on the day he was killed.
Providence police chief Oscar Perez said investigators believe Valente acted alone. A key break in the case came from a witness who saw Valente inside a bathroom in the Brown University building shortly after the shooting. The witness, finding Valente suspicious, followed him and provided police with a description of his rental car and license plate.
Police reviewed video footage, identified Valente’s car, and traced it back to the rental agency. Security video from the rental agency showed Valente’s face and confirmed he was wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the Brown University shooting footage.
Investigators obtained Valente’s name from the car rental agreement and discovered license plate readers showed his vehicle had been in the vicinity of the university from December 1 until the day of the shooting. Investigators had previously stated that Valente, wearing a mask during the Brown University shooting, escaped on foot, prompting a search that relied heavily on residential security footage due to a lack of surveillance cameras in the area.
Police released images and video of the masked suspect and repeatedly asked for public assistance in identifying him.
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