Autopsy confirms Brown University-MIT shooting suspect died by suicide days before body found
New Hampshire medical examiner says Claudio Neves Valente died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Dec. 16; authorities link two 9 mm pistols recovered near his body to the Brown and MIT killings, and say he acted alone.
A New Hampshire medical examiner has confirmed that Claudio Manuel Neves Valente died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a finding that aligns with early investigative timelines in the cases tied to Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The autopsy determined Valente, 48, died on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and his body was found two days later in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire. Investigators say the timeline just described helps frame the motive and sequence of events in the two linked shootings that stunned the Boston-area and Rhode Island campuses.
Brown University officials have said the Dec. 13 attack at the Barus & Holley Engineering Building left two students dead and nine others wounded during a finals-week study session. Providence police publicly identified Valente as the suspect in that shooting, and authorities later connected him to the Dec. 15 fatal shooting of MIT nuclear science professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. Officials described Valente as a Portuguese national who had previously studied physics at Brown from the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2001, withdrawing in 2003, and having no current affiliation with the university at the time of the shootings.
Forensic authorities have said two 9 mm pistols were recovered near Valente’s body in New Hampshire. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Boston office said one gun was positively matched to the weapon used in the Brown shooting, and the second gun was matched to the gun used in Loureiro’s killing. The firearms were tested in collaboration with the FBI and Connecticut State Police forensic laboratory, and investigators have emphasized that ballistic linkage is a critical element in establishing the timeline and confirming connections between the two incidents.
The suspect’s identity and background have been a focus of investigators since the start of the probe. Valente was publicly identified by Providence police as the Brown University attack suspect. Brown University President Christina Paxson said Valente was a Portuguese national and a former Brown student who studied physics in the university’s program from 2000 to 2001 and withdrew in 2003. Paxson noted that Valente had no ongoing affiliation with Brown at the time of the December shootings, adding that he spent considerable time in the Barus & Holley Building when he was a student.
Authorities have said Valente acted alone in both attacks. Law enforcement canvassed neighborhood surveillance footage, released images of a person of interest, and questioned individuals who were later cleared. Investigators are still examining Valente’s movements in the days leading up to Dec. 13 and Dec. 15, including credit card transactions and travel patterns, with investigators noting that several leads have pointed to Florida as a place where Valente had recently lived.
The medical examiner’s office and state investigators have stressed that no writings or documents have surfaced that would point to a clear motive for the shootings. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials have cautioned that the motive remains unknown as the investigation continues, and they have urged patience as they assemble a fuller timeline of Valente’s movements and contacts.
As the case moves forward, authorities have reaffirmed that both shootings were carried out by a single individual and that the two firearms recovered in New Hampshire were linked to the two separate killings. The discoveries underscore how investigators are attempting to connect a potentially broad pattern of behavior to the two campus-based attacks, while also remaining mindful of the broader safety implications for universities across the region.
The broader context remains a subject of ongoing law enforcement work. FBI agents have been involved in tracking Neves Valente’s movements, including interviews with associates and reviews of financial records. Investigators also say they are reviewing surveillance cameras and cross-referencing tips with state police labs and federal databases to determine whether Valente had any ties to external organizations or ideologies. While the link between the two shootings is clear in terms of the weaponry and the suspect, authorities have not disclosed any evidence of a broader conspiracy, and officials have reiterated that they do not yet have a motive to share publicly.
The two campuses have expressed renewed commitments to campus safety and mental health resources for students and faculty in the wake of the shootings, and law enforcement officials are urging the public to allow the investigation to unfold as agents piece together Valente’s movements and the precise circumstances surrounding the two fatalities. The case remains active, and prosecutors say they will provide further updates as they become available.
