By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief
Dale County Chronicle
Authorities say the man suspected in last weekend’s deadly shooting at Brown University and the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor days later has been found dead in New Hampshire, bringing an end to a nearly weeklong manhunt.
New Hampshire officials confirmed Friday that Claudio Neves Valente, 48, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was discovered Thursday night inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. An autopsy determined Neves Valente had been dead for approximately two days before he was found.
The developments follow a mass shooting Saturday evening inside an engineering classroom at Brown University during a final exam study session. At least two students were killed and nine others were injured when gunfire erupted on the Providence, Rhode Island, campus.
Brown University President Christina Paxson said the campus remains in mourning following what she described as an unthinkable tragedy.
“With deep sorrow, I write today to our extended family of Brown alumni and friends to share that our campus remains in deep mourning after losing two members of our community to gun violence,” Paxson said in a statement. “The past 24 hours really have been unimaginable — it’s a tragedy that no university community is ever ready for.”
One of the victims was identified as 19-year-old Ella Cook, an Alabama native and sophomore at Brown University. Church leaders at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham confirmed Cook’s death during Sunday morning services, remembering her as a deeply faithful, compassionate young woman who made a meaningful impact on those around her.
The second student killed was identified as 18-year-old freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, who aspired to pursue a career in medicine. Of the nine people wounded, several remained hospitalized, though many were reported in stable condition.
Paxson said the university acted quickly after learning of the threat.
“As many of you likely have learned, we alerted the campus at 4:22 p.m. Saturday to an active shooter incident,” she said. “We immediately informed our community to shelter in place by locking doors, silencing phones, and staying hidden until further notice.”
University officials evacuated students from the affected area and provided food, shelter, and support to those unable to return to their residences. Some sections of campus remain restricted as the investigation continues.
Investigators identified Neves Valente as the suspect in the Brown University shooting. He briefly studied physics at Brown during the 2000–01 academic year but later withdrew. Paxson emphasized that Neves Valente had no current affiliation with the university.
Authorities believe that after the Brown shooting, Neves Valente traveled to Massachusetts, where he is suspected of fatally shooting MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at the professor’s home in Brookline on Monday night. Loureiro, 47, was a respected physicist and fusion scientist who joined MIT in 2016 and was appointed last year to lead the university’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
Law enforcement officials stated that surveillance footage and license-plate recognition technology played a crucial role in tracking the suspect. A witness recognized Neves Valente after police released security images of a person of interest, leading investigators to a Nissan Sentra with Florida plates. Authorities said Neves Valente later attempted to conceal the vehicle by covering the plates with those from Maine.
Video footage showed Neves Valente entering a residential building near Loureiro’s home and later arriving at the New Hampshire storage facility carrying a bag and two firearms. Officials believe he acted alone.
Despite progress in mapping Neves Valente’s movements, investigators say many questions remain unanswered. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said authorities are still working to understand the motive behind the attacks, including why Brown University was targeted and why the shooting occurred in that specific classroom.
Paxson said the university’s focus remains on supporting those affected.
“Our full attention has remained on our community, their safety, and providing support for the victims and their families,” she said. “No parent or family member should ever have to endure this pain.”
Portugal’s government has confirmed it is cooperating fully with U.S. authorities as the investigation continues.
Investigators released this photo of Claudio Neves Valente, the suspect in the Brown University Mass Shooting that left Alabama Native Ella Cook and another student dead and many others injured. In a separate shooting, an MIT Professor was shot in his home. Authorities found the suspect dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds and believe he had been dead for at least two days.
Alabama native, Ella Cook, was among the two students slain at the Brown University shooting.
