Brown University Shooting Suspect Found Dead in New Hampshire Storage Unit

December 19, 2025 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Authorities confirmed late Thursday that the man suspected of carrying out the deadly shooting at Brown University - and later killing an MIT professor - was found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. The discovery ends a six‑day, multi‑state manhunt that had gripped campuses across the Northeast and raised urgent questions about motive, campus security, and the suspect's past.

Officials identified the suspect as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and former Brown University physics graduate student. Investigators say Valente died from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound, according to autopsy findings released Friday.

A Violent Week Across Two States

The investigation began on December 13, when gunfire erupted inside Brown University's Barus & Holley engineering building during finals week. Two students were killed and nine others wounded in what officials described as a targeted attack inside a first‑floor classroom.

Two days later, MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, was found shot inside his Brookline, Massachusetts home. Federal investigators later confirmed that ballistic evidence linked Valente to both shootings, with two 9mm pistols recovered beside his body matching shell casings from each crime scene.

Authorities also revealed that Valente and Loureiro had previously attended the same physics program at a university in Portugal, though investigators have not determined whether that connection played a role in the attacks.

How Investigators Closed In

The break in the case came from a Providence resident known publicly only as "John." According to police affidavits, John encountered the suspect inside a campus bathroom shortly before the shooting and later spotted him again outside, noting the Florida license plate on his vehicle. His tip helped investigators identify the rented car Valente used to travel between Boston and Providence.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has formally asked the FBI to award John the full $50,000 reward offered for information leading to the suspect's identification.

Suspect Found Dead

Law enforcement officers located Valente on December 18 inside a rented storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire. Officials say he likely died two days earlier, based on autopsy findings and forensic evidence at the scene.

Inside the unit, investigators found the two firearms tied to the Brown and MIT shootings, along with other evidence linking Valente to both attacks.

Unanswered Questions

Despite the rapid forensic progress, investigators say the motive remains unclear. No manifesto, digital trail, or personal writings have been recovered that explain why Valente targeted Brown University or Loureiro's home. Authorities say there is no evidence he knew any of the Brown victims.

Brown University President Christina Paxson said the discovery of the suspect's body "may allow our community to move forward," though she emphasized that the trauma of the past week will not fade quickly.

A Community in Mourning

Vigils continue on the Brown campus, where students and faculty have gathered to honor the victims and support one another. Alumni have expressed a mix of relief and lingering unease, noting that the suspect was once a member of their academic community.

"This definitely does not necessarily make things completely OK again," one alumna told NBC News. "Hopefully, there will be better days ahead for the entire Brown community".