Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old former Brown University student from Portugal, was identified as the suspect in the December 13, 2025, mass shooting at the university’s Barus and Holley building, which killed two people and wounded nine others. He was found dead on December 18 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage facility, closing the pursuit phase of the investigation. Authorities also linked him to the murder of MIT physics professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a fellow Portuguese native, on December 15 in Brookline, Massachusetts.[ from prior context]
Shooting Details
Neves Valente, who attended Brown as a graduate physics student from 2000-2001, entered the building around 4 p.m. on December 13 and opened fire in a lecture hall as about 60 students prepared to leave study sessions. Victims Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov were killed; as of December 18, six wounded remained hospitalized in stable condition, with three released. He fled the scene calmly, evading capture by switching license plates on his rental car, which tied him to both crimes after a tip from a witness identifying the vehicle.[ from prior context]
Investigation Breakthrough
A key break came from releasing an image of a person who encountered Neves Valente, leading to vehicle identification rented in Boston, traced to Providence and Brookline. Door-to-door canvassing near campus yielded security videos reconstructing his movements. An initial person of interest was cleared quickly; the FBI had offered a $50,000 reward earlier in the week.
University Response
Brown President Christina Paxson noted Neves Valente’s familiarity with the building from his student days. The university canceled all final exams and sent students home early for winter break. Officials, including FBI’s Ted Docks and Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha, stressed the case against him was closed but motive remained unknown, with ongoing probe into his actions.[ from prior context]
