Claudio Valente, 48, has been identified as the individual responsible for a series of fatal shootings on December 13, 2025, that resulted in three deaths and nine injuries across two locations. The incidents occurred at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and at the residence of an MIT professor in Brookline, Massachusetts. Valente, a former graduate student at Brown University, was found deceased by suicide on December 18 in a New Hampshire storage unit, following a six-day manhunt.
Incident Overview
The initial shooting took place on December 13, 2025, at Brown University's engineering and physics building. During this event, two students, Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, were killed, and nine other individuals sustained injuries. Police officers remained on the scene following the incident.
Two days later, Valente fatally shot MIT nuclear physics professor Nuno Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. Investigators reported that Valente and Professor Loureiro had attended the same university in Portugal and were believed to have been acquainted.
Suspect Information and Planning
Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, was identified as the perpetrator. He was a former graduate student at Brown University. Transcripts of videos recorded by Valente, spoken in Portuguese and later translated into English by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, revealed that he planned the December 13 attack at Brown University for "six semesters." In the recordings, Valente stated his intent to carry out the shooting for an extended period and identified Brown University as his target.
Valente's Recorded Statements and Motive
According to transcripts released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Valente expressed no remorse for the shootings and attributed blame to the victims for their deaths. He also mentioned sustaining a self-inflicted injury during the shooting of the MIT professor.
Investigators reported that Valente did not explicitly articulate a motive for targeting students at Brown University or Professor Loureiro in his recordings. However, law enforcement sources indicated he described long-standing grudges as a factor in acquiring firearms and executing the attacks. In the videos, Valente denied having a mental illness and stated that his actions were not driven by animosity towards the United States, although he described his decision to move to the U.S. as a "mistake." He also noted his surprise at the duration it took authorities to locate him following the campus incident.
Investigation and Conclusion
A six-day manhunt ensued across New England following the shootings. Valente was found deceased by suicide on December 18 in a storage facility in New Hampshire. The recorded videos were also located in the storage unit. Federal agents are currently examining electronic devices recovered from the scene and an adjacent storage unit to gather further information. The investigation into the motive for the shootings is ongoing. The U.S. Attorney's Office affirmed that there is no continuing threat to the public.