UPDATE: The suspect in the devastating shooting at Brown University has been found dead. Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old former student, was discovered on Thursday evening, October 5, 2023, inside a storage facility in New Hampshire with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Providence Police Chief, Col. Oscar Perez.
Just days earlier, Valente was allegedly responsible for a mass shooting that took place on September 30, 2023, which left two students dead and nine others injured during a lecture on campus. The chaos unfolded in a packed lecture hall, sending shockwaves through the university community. Authorities believe Valente also murdered Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a respected professor at MIT, in his home two days later.
Valente attended Brown as a graduate student studying physics from the fall of 2000 until the spring of 2001, as confirmed by Brown University President Christina Paxson. “He has no current affiliation with the university,” Paxson stated, emphasizing the urgent need for campus safety.
The connection between Valente and Loureiro dates back to their time in the same academic program at a university in Portugal between 1995 and 2000, as detailed by U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley. This tragic series of events has raised significant concerns about campus security and mental health support in educational institutions.
As investigations continue, authorities are working to piece together the motivations behind these horrific acts. The aftermath of this shooting has left the Brown community in mourning and questioning how such violence could occur in their midst.
This is a developing story, and updates will follow as more information becomes available. Stay tuned for the latest developments.
