Police have identified a suspect in connection with the deadly mass shooting that occurred last weekend at Brown University. The investigation is also exploring a potential link between this incident and the murder of a professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who was killed two days later in Brookline, Massachusetts. A source familiar with the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not disclose further details about the suspect’s identity or the basis for the believed connection.
On Thursday evening, law enforcement, including SWAT teams, was seen surrounding a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, located roughly 20 miles north of Boston. Reporting from the scene indicated that the police activity was part of the ongoing investigation.
The shooting at Brown University, which took place inside a classroom building, resulted in the tragic deaths of two students and injuries to at least eight others. Mayor Brett Smiley of Providence expressed the community’s anxiety, stating that residents and students are “restless and eager” for an arrest following the violent incident.
In a related matter, MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, was fatally shot at his home in Brookline, about 50 miles north of Brown’s campus. Loureiro was a prominent figure in MIT’s departments of nuclear science and engineering and physics, as well as the Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
Initially, an FBI official stated that there was no believed connection between the two violent incidents; however, the ongoing investigation may lead to a reevaluation of that stance.
In Providence, investigators revealed that the suspect from the Brown University shooting escaped on foot into the surrounding streets. The police are relying on residential security footage to track the suspect due to a lack of surveillance in the immediate area where the shooting took place. Authorities have released images and video of a masked man believed to be the shooter and are actively seeking the public’s assistance in identifying him, as the footage captured the individual in a nearby neighborhood before and right after the shooting.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez highlighted the uncertainty of the suspect’s whereabouts, stating, “He could be anywhere.” He noted the difficulty in establishing the suspect’s identity or motive at this stage of the investigation. Additionally, police have circulated images of another unidentified individual seen near the scene, hoping to speak with him to gather potential witness information.
Although a person was initially taken into custody a day after the shooting, authorities later released him after confirming he was not connected to the crime. The ongoing manhunt and investigation underscore an urgent community appeal for information as officials strive to bring justice for the victims and restore a sense of safety on campus and in the community.