It was Thursday morning when investigators definitively decided the identical individual opened fireplace on a examine group at Brown College and, two days later, murdered an MIT professor — elevating fears amongst legislation enforcement officers that the killer might have had different supposed targets, in keeping with the highest federal legislation enforcement official in Boston.
“We had no thought if he had a success record and these had been simply the primary two stops on his tour,” Leah Foley, america Legal professional for the District of Massachusetts, instructed ABC Information on Friday.
U.S. Legal professional for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley speaks with ABC Information, Dec. 19, 2025.
ABC Information
Foley stated that the suspect, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, was discovered lifeless within the New Hampshire storage unit with two 9mm Glock firearms outfitted with inexperienced laser sights, 5 magazines with almost 200 rounds of ammunition and almost $900 in money. In his automotive, investigators stated they discovered extra ammunition and physique armor.
“This was extremely premeditated and he was undoubtedly outfitted for the mission that he sought out to do,” Foley stated.
Claudio Neves Valente, suspect within the Brown College taking pictures in Windfall, on this undated handout picture launched, December 18, 2025.
U.S. Legal professional Massachusetts by way of Reuters
Neves Valente, 48, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police stated.
He’s estimated to have died on Tuesday, primarily based on the findings from an post-mortem carried out on Friday and the investigation’s findings to this point, in keeping with the New Hampshire Legal professional Normal’s workplace.
Ballistics assessments and DNA assessments had been additionally underway Friday.
Investigators had been additionally looking out by way of the contents of three USB thumb drives discovered within the suspect’s automotive to see in the event that they contained clues a couple of motive. It’s unclear presently if the suspect had some other potential targets, in keeping with folks aware of the investigation.
A gray Nissan automotive is parked at a storage facility, the place the Brown College shooter, recognized by authorities as Claudio Neves Valente, took his personal life, in Salem, New Hampshire, on this handout picture launched December 19, 2025.
FBI Boston by way of Reuters
Foley stated investigators imagine Brown College and the MIT professor — Nuno F.G. Loureiro — had been intentional targets, however they have no idea why.
“I do not know that even when he had defined why, that that might be a solution that’s passable to anybody,” Foley stated. “He was evil.”
The chance that the killer may have struck once more infused the manhunt with new urgency. Federal brokers fanned out throughout 4 New England states and posted up at airports in Boston and Hartford.
Windfall Police Officers be a part of state and federal legislation enforcement brokers looking for the Brown College shooter, in Salem, New Hampshire, U.S., December 18, 2025.
Cj Gunther/Reuters
“We had no thought if he was going to behave once more in New England or attempt to go away New England,” Foley stated.
Neves Valente had already switched license plates as soon as, in keeping with authorities. Within the automotive, investigators stated they discovered one other expired plate.
The suspect was a former Brown graduate pupil who attended the college some 25 years in the past, college officers stated. He had enrolled as a Ph.D pupil in Brown’s physics program in 2000 and attended for lower than a 12 months, earlier than happening a go away of absence after which withdrawing.
Neves Valente and Loureiro had been each Portuguese nationals and had attended the identical physics engineering program at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, the college confirmed to ABC Information.
