The U.S. Department of Justice has revealed that Claudio Neves Valente, the shooter responsible for the deaths of two Brown University students and an MIT professor, meticulously planned his attacks for years. Authorities found the 48-year-old former Brown student dead in a storage facility in New Hampshire following the incidents that occurred in December 2023.
On December 13, Neves Valente opened fire in an engineering building at Brown University, killing two students and injuring nine others. Just two days later, he fatally shot Nuno F.G. Loureiro, an MIT professor, at his residence in Brookline, approximately 50 miles from Providence. Investigators believe Neves Valente acted independently in these linked attacks.
Details of the Attack and Video Confessions
During the search of the storage facility, the FBI recovered electronic devices containing a series of video confessions recorded by Neves Valente after the shootings. In these recordings, he stated in Portuguese that he had been “planning the Brown University shooting for a long time.” While he did not specify a motive behind his actions, he expressed no remorse, stating, “I’m not going to apologize because during my lifetime no one sincerely apologized to me.”
Neves Valente described his actions as “a little incompetent,” yet claimed, “at least something was done.” He elaborated on his intention to ensure he “wouldn’t be the one who ended up suffering the most from all this.” The chilling videos provide insight into his mindset, revealing a lack of empathy for his victims.
Connections to Brown University and MIT
According to Christina Paxson, President of Brown University, Neves Valente was enrolled as a graduate student in physics from the fall of 2000 until the spring of 2001. She confirmed that he had no current affiliation with the university. The specific classroom or reason for targeting the victims remains unclear, as Peter Neronha, the Rhode Island Attorney General, noted, “There are still a lot of unknowns.”
The relationship between Neves Valente and the victims is particularly notable. Federal investigators have established a connection through shared academic history. Both Neves Valente and Loureiro attended the same physics program at a university in Portugal between 1995 and 2000. Loureiro graduated in 2000 from the Instituto Superior Técnico, recognized as Portugal’s leading engineering school. In contrast, Neves Valente was dismissed from his position at the university that same year.
Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 and was appointed to lead the university’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2022. He was a respected physicist known for his research on solar flares and advancements in clean energy.
The investigation continues as authorities seek further understanding of the motivations behind these tragic events. The full scope of Neves Valente’s planning and the implications of his actions have left both the academic community and law enforcement grappling with the aftermath of the attacks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.