(NewsNation) — A six-day manhunt for the suspect in the killings of two Brown University students and an MIT professor ended Thursday when authorities said he was found dead, though key questions remain about the attacks.
The shooter was identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national who once studied at Brown University and attended the same university as the slain professor.
As of Friday morning, investigators have still not revealed the motive behind the attacks on both schools.
What do we know about the Brown University, MIT shooter?
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Valente was born in Torres Novas, Portugal, and became a U.S. legal permanent resident in 2017 after arriving as a student in 2000. He later returned under a diversity immigrant visa.
Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed Valente enrolled in a doctoral program in physics before withdrawing in 2003. She said he likely attended most of his classes in the Barus & Holley building, where he is accused of opening fire Saturday.
Valente studied physics with MIT professor Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, 47, who he gunned down at the teacher’s home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Monday.
Both Loureiro and Valente studied in the same class at Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal’s premier school for science and engineering, from 1995 until 2000, and both graduated at the top of their class, reported the New York Times. Valente had received a higher mark than Loureiro, the outlet reported.
Valente briefly worked as a teaching assistant before moving to the United States, according to the outlet.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said Loureiro was the intended target of the attack at Brown and that authorities have no indication Valente knew the other victims.
President Donald Trump, as of late Thursday night, suspended the green card lottery program that authorities said allowed Valente to enter the U.S.
“I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media.
How did authorities find the Brown-MIT shooter?
Investigators tracked Valente across New England after identifying his rental car through surveillance video. Police said he had been switching license plates, including one from Maine that had been out of circulation for a decade, and was also using phones and SIM cards designed to block tracking.
On Thursday, police located an abandoned car in Salem and later focused on a nearby storage facility.
According to authorities, tactical teams entered the building and found Valente dead with a satchel, two firearms and other evidence linking him to the Providence shooting. They believe he took his own life.
An autopsy revealed Valente had been dead for two days when found on Thursday.
The investigation accelerated after tips from the public, including one posted on Reddit about a Nissan with Florida plates. Surveillance cameras later confirmed Valente had rented the vehicle in Boston.
Another man, initially considered a person of interest, told police he had confronted the suspect before he fled — a tip Neronha said “blew this case wide open.”
Authorities were continuing to search the Salem storage unit late Thursday and have not determined Valente’s motive.
What happened at Brown University and MIT?
Two students were killed and nine others injured when a gunman opened fire last weekend at Brown University. Police said they recovered dozens of shell casings, high-capacity magazines and multiple types of ammunition at the scene.
Two days later, MIT professor Loureiro was shot and killed at his home about 50 miles north of Brown University.
The shootings rattled campus communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Six Brown students remain hospitalized in stable condition, while three others have been discharged.
NewsNation’s Damita Menezes and NewsNation affiliate WPRI contributed to this report.