Claudio Manuel Neves Valente’s body was discovered in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, after a week-long manhunt that spanned New England. Authorities say the 48-year-old, who had ties to Brown University and MIT, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Massacre at Brown University
On Saturday, Neves Valente allegedly opened fire in Brown’s Barus & Holley building, killing two students and injuring nine others. The victims were Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov from Uzbekistan and Ella Cook from Birmingham, Alabama. Umurzokov was remembered by his aunt as kind and smart; Cook was described by her church as an “incredible, grounded, faithful, bright light.”
The MIT Shooting
On Monday, Neves Valente is suspected of fatally shooting MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, at Loureiro’s home in Brookline, a Boston suburb. Loureiro had joined MIT in 2016 and was a world-renowned plasma physicist and fusion scientist.
Neves Valente’s Academic Background
Neves Valente attended Brown’s physics Ph.D. program from August 2000 to spring 2001 on a student visa. He requested a leave of absence in 2001 and withdrew in 2003, never earning a degree. Brown’s president confirmed he had no current affiliation with the university and that Neves Valente likely spent time in Barus & Holley during his three semesters.
Prior to Brown, he studied at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, enrolling in the undergraduate program in technological physics engineering from 1995 to 2000. Rogério Colaço, the university’s president, told Expresso that Neves Valente graduated with a final average of 19 out of 20. Neves Valente also represented Portugal at the 1995 International Physics Olympiad in Canberra, Australia.
Personal Connections and Observations
Scott Watson, Neves Valente’s only friend at Brown, described him as socially awkward and often frustrated. Watson wrote in an email: “He would say the classes were too easy – honestly, for him they were,” and “He could be kind and gentle, though he often became frustrated – sometimes angry – about courses, professors, and living conditions.” Watson also recalled a conflict where Neves Valente referred to another student as a “slave” because the student was from Brazil, and that he had to break up a fight once.
Colaço added: “Most classmates have no memory of Cláudio Valente, other than the fact that he was the top student in the program that year.”
The Instituto Superior Técnico statement said: “His friends and colleagues at IPFN and at Técnico, some of whom continued to collaborate with Nuno to this day, are deeply distressed by his premature passing.” It added, “We remember a brilliant colleague, with whom it was a scientific and personal pleasure to collaborate.”
Alex Schekochihin, a longtime friend of Loureiro, wrote: “He was a fantastic physicist, a very effective leader with a clear vision and sophisticated sense of strategy, and an amazing human being.”
In a video posted to YouTube earlier this year, Loureiro said, “I think on any given day, it’s tempting to go for the low-hanging fruit,” and added, “Be a little more ambitious and tackle the really hard problems.”
Investigation and Findings
A tipster on the Reddit forum led U.S. authorities to Neves Valente after the shootings. The Portuguese Criminal Police are cooperating with U.S. investigators. Neves Valente obtained legal permanent resident status in 2017, lived in Las Vegas that year, and more recently appeared to reside in Miami. Public records show he rented a hotel room in Boston twice in late November, according to an FBI affidavit.
The shootings left residents of Rhode Island and Massachusetts in shock as days passed without anyone in custody. The manhunt concluded when authorities closed in on the Salem storage unit.
Key Takeaways
- Claudio Neves Valente, 48, linked to Brown and MIT shootings, found dead in New Hampshire storage unit.
- He had attended Brown (2000-2001) and Instituto Superior Técnico (1995-2000) and earned a top grade of 19/20.
- A Reddit tip led authorities to the storage unit; Portuguese police are cooperating with U.S. investigators.
The case remains a stark reminder of the sudden violence that can erupt in academic communities and the international cooperation required to investigate it.
