The suspect in the Brown shooting was found dead in Salem, New Hampshire, Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez announced at a 9:35 p.m. press conference. He was found with a satchel containing two firearms.
According to Perez, the 48-year-old man was identified as Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese national and a former Brown graduate student who withdrew from the University in 2003. Authorities believe he acted alone, Perez added.
“Tonight our Providence neighbors can finally breathe easier,” said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley.
Law enforcement found the suspect in a storage unit on Thursday night, Ted Docks, special agent in charge for the Boston Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said during the press conference.
“There will have to be a medical autopsy done” to determine the time of death, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha P’19 P’22 said.
Authorities were led to Neves Valente after they obtained a video that showed a vehicle that matched a tip sent to the tip center. This pointed them to a car rental center in Massachusetts, where they obtained footage of the suspect and confirmed his name, according to Perez.
An interview with a man who interacted with Neves Valente also assisted in the search. The man — identified in the affidavit for the arrest warrant — came forward after photos of him released by the Providence Police Department identified him as a person in proximity of the suspect, said Neronha.
In his testimony, the man said that he first interacted with Neves Valente in a Barus and Holley bathroom, after which he followed him out of the building, the affidavit read. The man followed Neves Valente to his car and watched him unlock it. He spotted two bags on the rear floor of the vehicle’s passenger side.
According to the testimony in the affidavit, the man continued to follow Neves Valente, describing the pattern as “a game of cat and mouse” with the suspect. The man questioned Neves Valente as to why he was circling the block. Neves Valente asked why the man was “harassing” him.
After the interaction, the man walked away. He later saw the images of Neves Valente released by the Providence Police and posted details about the suspect’s vehicle and behavior on Reddit. The Reddit post was reported to the FBI’s tip line.
“He blew this case right open,” Neronha said of the individual. Neronha added that the individual came forward within an hour of Providence police releasing photos of him.
It is unclear if this individual will receive the $50,000 reward offered by the FBI. “If I had a vote, he would,” Neronha said.
The affidavit also mentions a tip provided by a custodian who works at Brown. This individual recalled encounters with the suspect on Nov. 28 and Dec. 1. The suspect was wearing similar clothing to the publicized footage and walked with a limp, according to the custodian’s account.
Neves Valente was admitted to Brown’s Master of Science en route to PhD program in physics, according to University President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20. She said that he studied at Brown from September 2000 to April 2001 before formally withdrawing from the University in July 2003.
As a Portuguese national, Neves Valente came to the United States on a student visa, Perez said. Neronha added that Neves Valente applied for lawful permanent residence status and received it in September 2017.
Neves Valente had been “moving around New England” from October to December, Neronha stated.
According to the affidavit, Neves Valente was going to be charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as well as 23 additional felony counts of assault and firearm offenses.
“Students reported hearing multiple gunshots and police would discover numerous 9 millimeter shell casings in the hallway and steps leading down to the bottom of the auditorium,” the affidavit states.
Officials in Boston and Providence confirmed that Neves Valente is also being investigated in connection with the Brookline, Massachusetts shooting of Nuno Loureiro, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor of nuclear science and engineering and physics.
“It is believed that in Lisbon, those two individuals attended the same university,” Docks said.
Leah Foley, U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, said that there is no indication that Neves Valente knew any of the victims.
Paxson added that he only took physics courses in his time at Brown, the majority of which “have always been held within the Barus and Holley classrooms and labs” since these courses required “specialized equipment” available in the building. She did not confirm if he took classes in Room 166, where the shooting took place, as “detailed records” do not extend far enough back to confirm.
“I do not think a lack of cameras in that building had anything to do with what happened there,” Paxson said in response to a question about security systems in Barus and Holley.
Smiley attributed the discovery of the suspect to community assistance as well as several law enforcement agencies.
“This was a Herculean task,” Brown University Police Chief Rodney Chatman said.
“We are 100% confident that this is our target and that this case is closed,” Neronha added.
“This has been a period of great fear and anxiety for many people,” Paxson said, “including the experiences that members of our community have had with being targeted by online rumors and accusations.”
“I hope that this development also means an end to this truly troubling activity,” she continued.
“The unthinkable happened in our state. The unthinkable happened in Providence. The unthinkable happened at Brown University, and we’re going to be forever changed,” Gov. Dan McKee said.
“Nothing can really fully bring closure to the lives that have been shattered over the past week,” Paxson added. “But this may allow our community to move forward and begin a path of repair and recovery and healing.”
“We’re going to have a long road ahead,” Smiley said in his concluding remarks at the Thursday press conference.
“I know that what we do best as Rhode Islanders is support one another,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Annika Singh is The Herald’s tech chief and a metro editor from Singapore. She covers crime, justice and local politics, but mainly she stands in line for coffee and looks up answers every time she attempts a crossword.
Ian Ritter is a university news and science & research editor, covering graduate schools and students. He is a junior concentrating in chemistry. When he isn’t at The Herald or exploding lab experiments, you can find him playing the clarinet or watching the Mets.
Michelle Bi is a sophomore and metro section editor at The Herald.
Alejandro Ruiz is a university news senior staff writer covering academics and advising. He is a junior from Edison, NJ studying biochemistry and philosophy. In his free time, he can be found with his friends or with an AirPod in.
