Police in New Hampshire find the suspect in the Brown University shooting dead
Authorities report that the individual suspected in the mass shooting at Brown University was discovered deceased following an extensive manhunt across multiple states.
Authorities reported that the individual suspected in last week’s mass shooting at Brown University was discovered deceased in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, after a six-day multi-state manhunt.
Authorities have identified the suspect as Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national who attended Brown University in Providence approximately 25 years ago and currently has no affiliation with the institution.
“Although the suspect was discovered deceased this evening, our efforts are far from complete. “Numerous questions require answers,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Ted Docks.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated that Valente was found with a satchel and two firearms, and evidence located in a nearby vehicle corresponded with the shooting scene at Brown University. Authorities reported that initial findings suggest he succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and investigators were unable to ascertain how long he had been in the storage unit.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez stated that video evidence and public tips assisted investigators in connecting the suspect to a car rental associated with his name, directing authorities to identify him as their main person of interest.
Authorities have indicated that Valente is believed to have been responsible for the death of Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, a 47-year-old professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was discovered deceased at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, two days following the shooting at Brown University. According to police, both men studied at the same university in Portugal during the late 1990s.
Officials indicated that the two incidents were connected after the suspect’s vehicle was recognized via CCTV footage and witness testimonies at Brown University, with the identical car subsequently observed near the Brookline crime scene.
Leah B. Foley, the US Attorney for Massachusetts, stated that the suspect employed techniques to evade detection. “He was adept at concealing his traces,” she remarked.
A shooting took place within the Barus & Holley engineering building at Brown University during final examinations, as a gunman opened fire. Two students lost their lives, and nine others sustained injuries, with six remaining hospitalized.
The individuals involved were recognized as Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore hailing from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, an Uzbek-American freshman.
Christina Paxson, the President of Brown University, confirmed that Valente was a PhD physics student at the Ivy League institution from autumn 2000 to spring 2001, but he has no current connections to the university.
Officials have stated that a motive has not yet been determined for either attack, and investigations are still in progress.
