Brown University Shooting Suspect Located Dead in New Hampshire Storage Unit

Authorities say the man suspected of carrying out last weekend’s deadly shooting at Brown University was discovered dead Thursday night inside a rented storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire. Investigators believe he died by suicide, ending a five-day, multi-state search that began moments after gunfire erupted on the Providence, Rhode Island, campus.

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez identified the suspect as a 48-year-old Portuguese national who had been enrolled as a student at Brown. Records list Miami, Florida, as his most recent residence. Police have not publicly released his name because next of kin notifications are still under way.

Breakthrough From Surveillance Video and Vehicle Tip

The critical lead emerged when detectives reviewed campus security video that captured a dark-colored vehicle leaving Brown University shortly after Saturday’s attack. A caller to the dedicated tip line provided matching information, directing officers to a car rental business in Massachusetts. Investigators obtained the rental contract, which contained the suspect’s signature and driver’s license details, and compared in-store surveillance images with footage taken on campus. The physical similarities prompted officials to label the renter their primary person of interest.

Armed with the rental agreement, local police, federal agents and the U.S. Marshals Service traced electronic toll data and license-plate-reader hits, ultimately tracking the vehicle to Salem. A regional task force secured search warrants for several locations, including the self-storage facility where the suspect was later found deceased.

Possible Link to MIT Professor’s Homicide

Law-enforcement sources confirmed that detectives are exploring a connection between the Brown University shooting and the fatal shooting of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro. Loureiro, 47 and also a native of Portugal, was shot Monday night inside his Brookline, Massachusetts, home and died Tuesday at a Boston hospital. Investigators from both jurisdictions began sharing case files within the past 24 hours after noting similarities in ballistic evidence and geographic proximity, according to officials briefed on the discussions. No formal determination has been announced.

Timeline of the Brown University Attack

• Saturday afternoon: At approximately 3:40 p.m., multiple 9-1-1 calls reported gunfire near Brown’s Sciences Library. Officers arrived within minutes to find two students dead and nine others suffering gunshot wounds. The injured, ranging in age from 18 to 22, were transported to Rhode Island Hospital and remain in stable to serious condition.

• Immediate response: The campus was placed on lockdown while tactical units cleared buildings. Surveillance images showed the suspected gunman leaving on foot before entering the rented vehicle.

• Sunday: The Federal Bureau of Investigation deployed an Evidence Response Team to assist with processing the crime scene, gathering shell casings and reviewing digital evidence.

• Monday: The shooter remained at large. Brown University lowered flags to half-staff and provided counseling services to students and faculty.

• Thursday: Investigators traced the rental vehicle to New Hampshire and located the suspect deceased in Salem around 8:00 p.m. A firearm recovered at the scene matches the caliber used in the campus shooting, according to preliminary ballistics tests.

Imagem: Internet

Details of the Brookline Homicide

Brookline police responded to Loureiro’s residence just before 10:00 p.m. Monday after neighbors reported gunshots. Officers found the professor with multiple wounds; he was pronounced dead at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center the following day. Authorities have not identified a motive, and no arrests have been made. Investigators are comparing ballistic evidence from both crime scenes to determine whether the same weapon was used.

Investigation Continues

Detectives are now focusing on the suspect’s background, travel history and possible relationship with Loureiro. They are also examining any academic or personal ties the two men may have shared. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are tracing the recovered handgun to establish its purchase history.

The Brown University community remains in mourning. University officials have scheduled a vigil for Monday evening on the College Green. Counseling resources have been expanded, and final-exam schedules are under review to accommodate affected students.

While the suspect’s death ends the immediate threat, Providence police stressed that significant investigative work lies ahead. Evidence collected from the storage unit, the rental vehicle and both crime scenes will undergo forensic analysis. Additional search warrants may be issued as detectives map the suspect’s movements in the days leading up to each shooting.

According to Federal Bureau of Investigation data, nearly half of active-shooter incidents in the United States in 2024 ended with the attacker taking his or her own life, underscoring the challenges law enforcement faces in determining motive after the fact.

Officials urge anyone with information about either incident to contact the Providence Police tip line at (401) 421-3310 or the Brookline Police Department at (617) 730-2222.

Crédito da imagem: Reuters / AP / MIT