BROOKLINE, Mass. — A man linked to the recent mass shooting at Brown University and the fatal shooting of an MIT professor was found dead Thursday in a storage facility in New Hampshire, ending a multi-day search for him. Providence police Chief Col. Oscar Perez Jr. identified the deceased as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national and former student at Brown. His body was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, days after the tragic incidents that left two students dead and several others injured.
An autopsy performed by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office revealed that Neves Valente died on December 16. Authorities suspect he took his own life shortly before he was found. Investigators believe he may have visited a shooting range in New Hampshire prior to the attacks, having discovered a receipt corresponding to such a facility.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged the community’s relief following the discovery of Neves Valente. The violence erupted on Saturday when a gunman opened fire in a Brown University engineering building, resulting in the deaths of Ella Cook, a student from Birmingham, Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman aspiring doctor. Just two days later, MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro was shot and killed at his home in Brookline.
As detectives worked to untangle the connection between the two shootings, they honed in on a gray Nissan linked to both incidents. Witnesses reported a suspicious man driving a similar vehicle in both Providence and Brookline, prompting investigators to focus their search. The Nissan, with Florida plates, was tracked to a Boston rental office where it was identified as rented by Neves Valente.
On Thursday, law enforcement from various agencies converged on a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, where Neves Valente had rented a unit. The gray Nissan was located on the premises, equipped with ammunition and body armor, alongside two 9mm Glock firearms and nearly $900 in cash. Law enforcement reported finding nearly 200 rounds of ammunition and USB drives inside the vehicle.
Shortly after 9 p.m., Neves Valente was discovered dead in the storage facility, which raised questions regarding his motives. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley noted that investigators don’t believe he had any specific connection or intent targeting the victims from Brown University or MIT.
Governor Maura Healey expressed gratitude to law enforcement for their collaborative efforts across jurisdictions, emphasizing the community’s mourning for the victims of this violence. Neves Valente was previously enrolled in a doctoral program at Brown for a brief period and attended physics classes primarily held in the same building where the recent shooting occurred.
This tragic sequence of events has prompted discussions around safety in educational environments. Neves Valente’s visa status, stemming from his original F-1 student visa and subsequent residency, has also drawn attention. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced a pause on the diversity lottery program, stating the move aims to prevent further harm to Americans. The communities of Brown University and MIT now face the daunting task of healing as they process the impact of these violent acts.