Autopsy confirms suicide of Brown University, MIT shooting suspect days before body found
New Hampshire autopsy concludes Claudio Neves Valente died of self-inflicted gunshot; investigators say he acted alone in the Brown University and MIT killings as motive remains unclear.
An autopsy performed for the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has concluded that Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and that the death was a suicide, authorities said Friday. The examination estimated Valente died on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and his body was found two days later in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. Investigators say Valente acted alone in both the Dec. 13 shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and the Dec. 15 killing of MIT nuclear science professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they have not identified a motive.
Two 9-mm pistols were recovered near Valente’s body in New Hampshire, authorities said, and federal investigators matched the firearms to the two different attacks: one gun tied to the Brown shooting and a second gun linked to Loureiro’s killing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI said the serial matches were confirmed through forensic examination, with the Connecticut State Police forensic lab assisting in the analysis. No additional suspects have been identified, and authorities described Valente as having acted alone.
Valente’s background has been described in official releases and interviews as that of a former Brown University student who studied physics there from the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2001 before withdrawing in 2003. Brown University President Christina Paxson said Valente had no recent affiliation with the university at the time of the Dec. shootings, though he spent considerable time in the Barus & Holley Engineering Building when he was a student. Paxson emphasized that there is no current campus presence by Valente and that the university is cooperating with investigators as they assess any possible link to the events.
The Brown University incident occurred during finals week on Dec. 13, when a student study session in the Barus & Holley Engineering Building turned deadly. Two Brown students were killed: Ella Cook, of Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, of Virginia. Nine others were wounded as the assailant opened fire in a common area of the building, drawing rapid police and emergency response to the campus. On Dec. 15, investigators confirmed the second fatal shooting at MIT: Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a professor of nuclear science and engineering, was found dead in his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, with a gunshot wound.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive, and officials say the two shootings appear to be connected by a single gunman. The FBI and ATF have conducted extensive canvassing, reviewed surveillance footage, and traced Valente’s movements in the days leading up to the attacks, including potential addresses and travel through Florida where he had previously lived. Investigators have also examined financial activity and other digital footprints, though there is no known written material that explains the motive.
A review of the cases is ongoing, with federal prosecutors and state investigators coordinating to determine whether the two shootings reflect broader patterns or intent. The absence of a clearly identified motive has prompted renewed calls for transparency and support for the affected families as the investigative process continues.
In a statement, Paxson underscored that Valente had been a long-ago student and that Brown has no current affiliation with him, while CBC and MIT officials reiterated commitments to campus safety and the well-being of those impacted by the incidents. The investigation remains fluid, with authorities continuing to compile and cross-check material from multiple sources as they work to establish a complete timeline surrounding the two shootings.
As investigators press forward, authorities emphasize that there is no evidence of other individuals involved or any direct connection to the Brown or MIT communities that would indicate a broader plot. The focus remains on reviewing Valente’s recent movements, associations, and possible motivations, while the victims’ families and the two universities prepare to support the affected students and staff through ongoing recovery efforts.
The case highlights the complexity of linking disparate incidents across state lines and underscores the importance of rigorous forensics and interagency cooperation in cases involving serial-like criminal activity. Authorities say the autopsy findings, ballistic matches, and investigative work conducted to date provide a coherent, if incomplete, picture of the events surrounding the Brown University and MIT shootings, but that the motive remains undetermined as the investigation continues.