Police are investigating a potential connection between a mass shooting at Brown University and the assassination of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Nuno Loureiro, which occurred two days apart. The Brown University incident took place on Saturday in Providence, Rhode Island, resulting in the deaths of students Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook and injuries to 12 others.
The victims were killed during a study session at the university’s School of Engineering Barus and Holley Building. A gunman fired 40 rounds before fleeing the scene. Two days later, Professor Loureiro was shot dead in his Brookline, Boston home around 8:30 PM.
Professor Loureiro, a married father of three and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was described by neighbors and colleagues as a “wonderful man.” Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have released photographs and videos of persons of interest in the Brown University case but have yet to identify a suspect.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office confirmed that no arrests have been made in either incident, describing the investigations as “active and ongoing.” Authorities initially stated there was no connection between the two cases, but new information suggests a possible link.
Professor Loureiro, a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist, began his academic career in Portugal before earning his doctorate at Imperial College London. He later worked at Princeton University and the UK Atomic Energy Authority before joining MIT in 2024.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth stated, “This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places.”
