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| Credit: Abc news |
Authorities say the suspect linked to a deadly shooting at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor has been found dead, bringing an end to a days-long, multi-state manhunt that left parts of New England on edge.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old former Brown University graduate student. His body was discovered Thursday inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, according to officials. Investigators said Valente died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The discovery followed an intensive search involving local, state, and federal agencies across several states.
Linked to Two Separate Attacks
Authorities confirmed Valente was responsible for last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University, which killed two students and wounded nine others. Investigators also say he was the suspect in the fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, who was killed Monday night inside the foyer of his apartment building in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Officials said there is no evidence Valente acted with accomplices.
“This case involved deliberate efforts by the suspect to evade capture,” authorities said, noting that Valente took steps to conceal his movements following both attacks.
Former Graduate Student With No Current Affiliation
Brown University President Christina Paxson said Valente briefly enrolled as a Ph.D. student in the university’s physics program in 2000, attending for less than a year before taking a leave of absence and later withdrawing. She said he had no current connection to the university.
As a former physics student, Valente is believed to have spent time in the Barus & Holley engineering building, which was targeted during the campus shooting.
Valente entered the United States on a student visa in 2000 and became a lawful permanent resident in 2017, according to authorities.
Possible Academic Connection Between Suspect and Victim
Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said investigators believe Valente and MIT professor Loureiro, both natives of Portugal, may have studied in the same academic program in Portugal during the 1990s. Authorities said that connection only emerged in recent days as the two crimes were linked.
Officials emphasized that a motive has not yet been established.
How Investigators Tracked Him Down
Authorities said a combination of surveillance footage, license-plate reader data, and a detailed tip from the public helped lead them to the suspect.
The tip described a gray Nissan Sentra with Florida plates, which investigators later confirmed had been rented by Valente in late November. Surveillance video placed the vehicle near the Brown University campus in the days leading up to the shooting.
The trail eventually led investigators to a storage facility near the Massachusetts–New Hampshire border, where Valente had rented a unit.
Final Discovery at New Hampshire Storage Facility
On Thursday evening, FBI SWAT teams executed a search warrant at the storage facility shortly before 9 p.m. Authorities said Valente was found deceased inside a storage unit adjacent to the one he had rented.
Investigators said he was carrying a satchel containing two firearms at the time of discovery.
Victims Identified
The two Brown University students killed in Saturday’s shooting were identified as 19-year-old Ella Cook and 18-year-old MukhammadAziz Umurzokov. Authorities said the gunman opened fire inside a first-floor auditorium during a review session for an economics course.
University officials said the building was unlocked at the time due to ongoing exam activities.
Authorities also revealed that an individual briefly confronted the gunman inside a bathroom during the incident, telling investigators the person felt the suspect “did not belong there.”
Community Response
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said residents could finally feel a sense of relief following the discovery.
“Our community has endured days of fear and uncertainty,” Smiley said. “Tonight, Providence can begin to breathe again.”
Investigations into both shootings remain ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the suspect’s actions and potential motive.
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