Rhode Island – Authorities say the man responsible for a deadly mass shooting at Brown University, and suspected in the killing of a prominent MIT nuclear scientist days later, has been found dead, bringing a violent multi-state investigation to an abrupt end.
Police identified the suspect as Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and former Brown University student. He was found dead Thursday night inside a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire. Officials said the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The discovery followed hours of tactical activity by federal and state law enforcement outside the storage facility.
The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. Saturday inside the Barus and Holley Building on the campus of Brown University during a finals week study session.
Investigators said a masked gunman entered Room 166, shouted something witnesses could not clearly make out, and opened fire.
Two students were killed, Ella Cook of Alabama and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Virginia, while nine others were wounded. Six victims remained hospitalized as of Thursday afternoon and were listed in stable condition.
Brown University President Christina Paxson said the suspect studied physics at the university from the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2001 before going on a leave of absence and eventually withdrawing in 2003. She emphasized that he had no current affiliation with the university and no legitimate presence on campus.
Authorities also believe Neves-Valente was responsible for the fatal shooting of a nuclear physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier this week.
The victim, Nuno Loureiro, was shot and killed at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, approximately 50 miles from Brown University.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley confirmed Thursday night that federal investigators believe the same suspect carried out both attacks.
“At approximately 9 p.m., federal agents breached a storage locker in Salem, New Hampshire, while searching for Claudio Neves-Valente,” Foley said. “Agents located him deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
In the days following the Brown shooting, investigators released surveillance images of a masked individual believed to be the suspect. The man was described as stocky, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and walking with an unusual gait. Police canvassed surrounding neighborhoods, reviewed extensive surveillance footage, and briefly questioned a person of interest before ruling him out.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the investigation remains ongoing and that a motive has not yet been determined.
The case has also reignited scrutiny of the Diversity Visa immigration program.
In a statement posted online, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Neves-Valente entered the United States through the diversity visa lottery program in 2017 and was later granted permanent residency.
At the direction of Donald Trump, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, has paused the DV-1 program pending review.
The surrounding community remains shaken as investigators continue to piece together how a former student with no current campus ties was able to carry out one of the deadliest attacks in Brown University history.
- NMD Staff
News@NewMediaDetroit.com