Brown University and MIT Shooting Suspect Found Dead

Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old former Brown University student, was found dead by suicide in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, on December 19, 2025, according to CBS News. His death is linked to a shooting at Brown University on December 13, where two students were killed and nine others were injured.

The following day, he allegedly murdered MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, a former classmate from their time studying physics in Portugal in the late 1990s. An autopsy confirmed Valente died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Investigators used surveillance footage and tips from the public to trace his movements leading up to the shootings, including his rental vehicle and suspicious actions around Brown's campus. Authorities noted he returned to Rhode Island several times prior to the shooting.

In response to the incident, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an indefinite pause in the diversity visa program that allowed Valente entry into the U.S., citing security concerns. This tragic series of events has sparked discussions about mental health and gun violence in academic environments, with officials still seeking to understand the motive behind Valente's actions.

Brown University President Christina Paxson expressed deep sorrow over the loss of students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, who were killed in the Brown shooting, while MIT mourned Professor Loureiro, remembered as a brilliant scientist and mentor.

The entire academic community is grappling with the aftermath, raising questions about safety and mental health support on campuses.