Executive Summary
- Nuno F.G. Loureiro, head of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was fatally shot at his Brookline home.
- The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office has launched a homicide investigation but has no suspects in custody.
- Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs or gunshots on Monday evening.
- The FBI has stated there is no current connection to the recent shooting at Brown University.
Authorities in Massachusetts have launched a homicide investigation following the fatal shooting of Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a prominent physicist and director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The 47-year-old scientist was shot at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Monday night and succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital on Tuesday, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that no suspects were in custody as of Tuesday, and investigators have not yet released specific details regarding potential leads or a motive for the killing. The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office stated that the investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives canvass the area for evidence.
Residents in the vicinity of Loureiro’s apartment reported hearing disturbances on the night of the incident. A neighbor, speaking anonymously to CBS News Boston, described hearing “three loud bangs” on Monday evening. Similarly, Liv Schachner, a Boston University student residing nearby, told The Boston Globe that she heard noises she assumed were gunshots, noting the jarring volume of the sound. “It is difficult to grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening,” Schachner said.
Loureiro, a native of Portugal, joined MIT in 2016 and was appointed last year to lead the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, a major laboratory employing over 250 staff members dedicated to advancing clean energy technology. MIT President Sally Kornbluth described his death as a “shocking loss” in a statement, while former center head Dennis Whyte eulogized him as a “brilliant scientist” and a “universally admired” mentor.
The shooting in Brookline occurred shortly after a separate violent incident at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, approximately 50 miles away, where a gunman killed two students on Saturday. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated on Tuesday that there is currently no known connection between the two crimes.
Investigative Outlook
As the investigation proceeds, the primary focus for the Brookline Police and the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office will be establishing a timeline of events and identifying a motive, which currently remains elusive. The lack of an immediate suspect in the killing of such a high-profile academic figure is likely to prompt an intensive forensic examination of the scene and a review of the victim’s personal and professional interactions. While community concerns are heightened due to regional violence, authorities have been careful to treat this as an isolated incident absent evidence linking it to broader threats.
