Brown UniversityPhoto: James Rojas/ WBZ NewsRadio
BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Investigators are now searching for a motive after the manhunt for the Brown University shooter concluded in Salem, N.H. Thursday night, after the suspect was found dead in a storage facility.
The suspect, identified as Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente of Portugal, is believed to be the same person who shot and killed MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro.
Authorities say the alleged gunman, Neves-Valente, rented a car in Boston, which was seen near Brown University during the shooting that left two dead and nine injured on Saturday. On Monday, the same vehicle was seen half a mile away from Professor Loureiro’s home in Brookline, Mass.
The Norfolk District Attorney's Office said Loureiro was shot in his Brookline home Monday night and later died at a hospital Tuesday morning.
The only apparent connection is that both Professor Loureiro and Neves-Valente attended the same academic program in Portugal between 1995 and 2000. Following his time in Portugal, Neves-Valente attended Brown University in 2000 on an F-1 student visa. He took a leave of absence in 2001 before officially withdrawing from the program in 2003. He was able to obtain legal residency through the Diversity Immigrant Visa system in 2017. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on social media that she was pausing the DV1 program "to ensure no more Americans are harmed."
Professor Nuno Loureiro
Authorities were able to connect the suspect to both crimes through anonymous tips and Neves-Valente's financial transactions at a hotel and Alamo rental location, both in Boston.
Videos show the gunman going inside Loureiro's apartment building — then one hour later — driving the rented car into a storage facility in Salem, N.H., where his body was found Thursday night.
Locals in Brookline, Mass., say that while the claims are shocking, they are still trying to come to terms with what happened.
"I feel relieved that it's resolved. Obviously, it's a scary thing," said a man who lives across the street from Loureiro's home.
As police continue to try to piece together the events that led to the killings, residents are now thinking about the families of the victims.
"Something like this plays out in the family for ages, and the children for ages. Throughout life," said Len of Brookline.
Vigil at Professor Nuno Loureiro's HomePhoto: James Rojas/ WBZ NewsRadio
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojas.bsky.social) reports.