Police in the United States have intensified their search for a fugitive gunman following a deadly mass shooting at Brown University, with the investigation now focusing on a rural area of Salem. Authorities are probing potential links to the separate killing of a prominent MIT nuclear scientist just days later.
Manhunt Centres on Rental Vehicle
Investigators are urgently seeking a suspect in the Brown University shooting and a specific vehicle they believe he rented. According to sources cited by CBS, the rented car is a silver Nissan, which matches the make and model of a vehicle detected near the home of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro. Loureiro was shot at his residence in the Boston suburb of Brookline just two days after the university attack. The suspect is believed to be a man in his 40s.
Panic spread through Salem as news helicopters and increased police patrols scoured the area for the armed fugitive. One man, identified by law enforcement as having been 'in proximity' to the suspect, has been located and interviewed. Local reports indicate he told police he confronted the gunman before the shooting, questioning his presence.
Victims of the Brown University Attack
The shooting at the prestigious Ivy League institution in Providence occurred on Saturday, December 13th. The gunman entered a classroom in the university's engineering building, killing two students and wounding nine others before escaping.
One of the victims was identified as Ella Cook, 19, the vice president of the university's Republican club and a leading conservative voice on campus. The other was Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an aspiring neurosurgeon from Uzbekistan, described by his family as 'the most kind-hearted person'.
His roommate, Khimari Manns, told CBS News that Umurzokov was 'just a ball of joy, ball of energy' who raised everyone's spirits. 'He made sure I had my stuff done. He made sure he had his stuff done. He was just always there,' Manns said.
The Killing of MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro
Approximately 50 miles north of Brown, a second tragedy unfolded. MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, was gunned down in his Brookline home on Monday night and died in hospital the following day. The married fusion scientist had joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead the university's Plasma Science and Fusion Centre, a key laboratory in clean energy research.
Born in Viseu, Portugal, Loureiro earned a doctorate in London and was a researcher in Lisbon before moving to MIT. Colleague Dennis Whyte described him as a bright light, 'universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner'. In a statement from last year, Loureiro expressed his conviction that fusion energy would 'change the course of human history'.
Frustration Mounts as Fugitive Evades Capture
With the perpetrator on the run for nearly a week, frustration is growing in Providence that the attacker managed to escape and that a clear image of his face has not been released. State Attorney General Peter Neronha stated that while there is no discouragement among investigators, 'not every case can be solved quickly'.
Authorities have released several video clips showing a person of interest moving around streets near the campus in the hours before and after the shooting. However, the individual is consistently seen wearing a mask or with their head turned away. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information and warned the public against relying on AI-generated images circulating on social media.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez emphasised that official updates will be provided exclusively through the department's own social channels as the search for the silver Nissan and its driver continues.
