What we know about the suspect in the Brown and MIT professor shootings

3 hours ago 5

Law enforcement officials accidental the aforesaid gunman who opened occurrence astatine Brown University besides changeable and killed an MIT prof 2 days later. The fishy successful some shootings has been identified arsenic Claudio Manuel Neves Valente.

Authorities said he was recovered dead in New Hampshire Thursday nighttime pursuing an intensive manhunt.

Two students were killed and 9 were wounded successful the shooting astatine Brown, successful Providence, Rhode Island, connected Saturday. Then MIT prof Nuno Loureiro was gunned down astatine his location successful Brookline, Massachusetts, connected Monday.

Here's what we cognize truthful acold astir the suspect.

Who is the fishy successful the Brown University and MIT prof shootings?

The fishy successful the shootings was identified by authorities arsenic 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente.

He was a Portuguese nationalist whose past known residence was successful Miami, Florida, officials said during a quality league Thursday night.

Investigators judge the fishy acted alone, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said.

Where was the fishy found?

Officials said Neves Valente died by termination astatine a retention installation successful Salem, New Hampshire, wherever helium had rented a unit. A satchel and 2 firearms were recovered with him.

"We are 100% assured that this is our target, and that this lawsuit is closed from a position of pursuing radical involved," Neronha said.

But truthful acold the motive remains a mystery.

"I don't deliberation we person immoderate thought wherefore now, oregon wherefore — wherefore Brown? Why these students? Why this classroom? That is truly chartless to us. It whitethorn go clear, I anticipation that it does, but it hasn't arsenic of close now," Neronha said.

How was the fishy identified?

Security footage and hotel, rental car and retention portion records each helped successful the case. Leah Foley, U.S. lawyer for the District of Massachusetts, provided details astatine a quality league Thursday night.

She said the fishy stayed successful a edifice country successful Boston successful precocious November, and past connected Dec. 1, helium rented a grey Nissan Sentra with Florida plates from a car rental bureau successful Boston and drove "to the vicinity" of Brown University. Providence is astir an hour's thrust from Boston.

Claudio Neves Valente, fishy successful Brown University shooting

His car was "observed intermittently" betwixt Dec. 1 and Dec. 12 successful the country of Brown University, Foley said. The shooting took spot connected Saturday, Dec. 13, and fishy past returned to Massachusetts, wherever MIT prof Nuno Loureiro was changeable astatine his location successful Brookline connected Monday, Dec. 15.

"Investigators identified the conveyance that helium had rented successful Boston and drove to Rhode Island," Foley said. The conveyance was seen extracurricular of Brown, and determination was information footage that showed a idiosyncratic who resembled him.

She said a fiscal probe besides linked him to the car and hotels.

Security footage besides showed the fishy wrong a half-mile of Loureiro's apartment, and determination was footage showing him entering "in the determination of the professor's apartment," Foley said.

About an hr later, helium was seen entering the retention portion successful Salem, New Hampshire.

When helium was recovered dormant Thursday helium was dressed successful the aforesaid apparel that helium was seen wearing close aft Loureiro's murder, Foley said.

"We recovered records, with the assistance of the FBI and others, that that was his retention area," Neronha said.

What was the suspect's transportation to Brown University?

Neves Valente was a erstwhile pupil who was enrolled astatine Brown University from the autumn of 2000 to the outpouring of 2001, Brown University President Christina Paxson said. He was admitted to the postgraduate schoolhouse to survey successful a PhD physics program.

Paxson said helium took a permission of lack successful April 2001, earlier formally withdrawing connected July 31, 2003.

He was lone enrolled successful physics classes portion astatine the school, which were held successful the aforesaid gathering wherever the shooting took place.

"The bulk of physics classes astatine Brown person ever been held astatine the Barus & Holley classrooms and labs," Paxson said.

What was the suspect's transportation to the MIT professor?

Both the fishy and MIT prof Nuno Loureiro were from Portugal, and officials judge they attended the aforesaid assemblage successful Lisbon betwixt 1995 and 2000.

"My knowing is that they did cognize each other," Foley said.

They were adjacent successful property — the fishy was 48 and Loureiro was 47 — and some studied physics. Loureiro went connected to go a prominent scholar successful the tract of fusion vigor probe and was manager of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Loureiro was changeable aggregate times at his location Monday night and died the adjacent day.

Faris Tanyos contributed to this report.