Investigators in Rhode Island are searching for the motive behind the Brown University shooting that killed Alabama sophomore Ella Cook. Authorities say a high-tech tip helped them track the suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, who is believed to be responsible for both the Brown University and the nearby Massachusetts attack. A Reddit user known only as John provided a crucial clue about Valente’s vehicle, helping police identify him.
The attacks included the shooting at Brown University, where two students were killed and nine others injured in an engineering building on Saturday. About 50 miles away, MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro was found dead Monday night in his Brookline, Massachusetts home. Police discovered the suspected shooter’s body on Thursday, confirming he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility after a six-day search across multiple states. He had attended Brown University from fall 2000 to spring 2001 as a graduate physics student. The university confirmed he had no current affiliation. Valente had studied in the U.S. on a student visa and later obtained permanent residency in September 2017. His last known residence was Miami.
Loureiro, 47, joined MIT in 2016 and led the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, a major lab focused on clean energy research. He was a physics and nuclear science professor. Loureiro and Valente had attended the same academic program in Portugal from 1995 to 2000. Loureiro graduated in 2000 from Instituto Superior Técnico, while Valente had been let go from a university position in Lisbon that same year.
Authorities are still investigating why Valente allegedly carried out the attacks. Security footage initially showed a masked suspect at Brown University. A witness reported seeing someone matching the description driving a Nissan sedan with Florida plates, enabling police to track the car using over 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety. Valente later covered the rental car’s plate with a Maine license plate to hide his identity.
Video showed Valente entering Loureiro’s apartment building in Massachusetts and, about an hour later, the New Hampshire storage facility where he was later found dead. Rhode Island officials reported that he died the same day Loureiro was killed.
At Brown University, the victims were 19-year-old Ella Cook and 18-year-old freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov. Cook, who was active in her Alabama church and served as vice president of the Brown College Republicans, will be honored in a funeral on Monday. Umurzokov, who moved to the U.S. from Uzbekistan as a child, aspired to become a doctor. Of the nine wounded, six remained in stable condition as of Thursday, and three were discharged.
Valente had gained U.S. permanent residency through the diversity visa program, which awards up to 50,000 green cards annually to people from underrepresented countries. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted that the program was paused by former President Donald Trump, a move expected to face legal challenges.
The investigation highlights how modern technology and community tips can help law enforcement solve complex cases. Police continue to search for answers about the motive and connections behind these tragic attacks, while the families and communities affected begin to grieve and seek justice.
