> At a Glance
> – Claudio Neves Valente recorded videos admitting he plotted the Dec. 13-15 rampage for at least six semesters
> – The 48-year-old former Brown student killed two Brown students, MIT Prof. Nuno Loureiro, and wounded nine others
> – FBI found the recordings in a New Hampshire storage unit where Valente was found dead Dec. 18
> – Why it matters: The Justice Dept. release debunks viral rumors and shows the attacks were pre-meditated without a clear motive
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday released videos in which Claudio Neves Valente, the man behind the December shootings at Brown University and MIT, calmly details months of planning and admits to the murders.
Planned for Over a Year
Valente, 48, says on camera that he began working out logistics “for at least six semesters” before the Dec. 13 engineering-hall attack that killed two students and wounded nine others. Two days later he fatally shot MIT physics professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in Brookline.
- Videos recorded after the shootings were stored on a device found in the New Hampshire storage facility where Valente died.
- In a translated transcript he offers no apology: “I’m not going to apologize because during my lifetime no one sincerely apologized to me.”
Rumors Debunked
Valente explicitly denies conservative influencer Laura Loomer’s claim that he shouted Arabic phrases such as “Allahu Akbar” inside the Brown auditorium.
> “I didn’t speak a word of Arabic… If I said anything, I must have made an exclamation like, ‘Oh no!'” – Claudio Neves Valente, video confession
He thought the room was empty; students were hiding under desks.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Dec. 13 | Brown engineering shooting: 2 dead, 9 hurt |
| Dec. 15 | MIT professor killed in Brookline |
| Dec. 18 | Valente found dead in storage unit |
| Tuesday | Justice Dept. releases confession videos |
Path to Identification
A witness who had previously encountered Valente on campus recognized him from police photos and, in Reddit posts, suggested investigators look for a gray Nissan. Reddit users urged the person to contact the FBI; the tip helped link a vehicle to the suspect.
Valente admits surprise at remaining free for days: “I honestly never thought it would take them so long to find me.”
Key Takeaways
- Valente, a Portuguese national and Brown graduate student until 2001, obtained U.S. permanent residence in 2017 and lately lived in Miami.
- He insists he is not mentally ill and calls the killings “a little incompetent” but adds “at least something was done.”
- Brown leaders say a full recovery plan is underway to help the campus deal with the December tragedy.
The Justice Department disclosure ends weeks of speculation and confirms the attacks were long in the making, even as a definitive motive remains unknown.
