Law enforcement officials launched a homicide probe Tuesday following the fatal shooting of a faculty member from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at his home near Boston, AP reported.
The Norfolk District Attorney's Office identified the victim as Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old fusion scientist who passed away at a hospital on Tuesday after being shot Monday night in Brookline, Massachusetts, according to the outlet. Per the prosecutor's office, investigators had not taken any suspects into custody as of Tuesday afternoon, and the inquiry is ongoing, AP stated. Despite social media being rife with speculation on Iran potentially being involved in the murder as revenge against Israel's assassination of key scientists from its nuclear program in the 12-day war, there is no credible information on this. Likewise, there is no indication that he was Jewish or that he held pro-Israel views, despite some commentators saying that.
The homicide probe in Brookline comes as police in Providence, Rhode Island, located approximately 50 miles away, continue their search for a gunman responsible for killing two students and injuring nine others at Brown University on Saturday, AP noted. The FBI confirmed on Tuesday that it was aware of no connection between the crimes, according to the report.
Loureiro joined the university in 2016 and was appointed last year to direct the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, a leading facility focused on clean energy advancements, AP reported. The lab employed more than 250 people across seven buildings at the time he took charge, according to the report.
MIT noted that the professor, who was married, was raised in Viseu, central Portugal, and completed his studies in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London, AP stated. The outlet added that he served as a researcher at a nuclear fusion institute in Lisbon prior to his tenure at the US institution.
Speaking to a campus publication, Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor and former leader of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, honored his successor, AP reported. "He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner," Whyte said.
AP reported that MIT President Sally Kornbluth described Loureiro's death in a statement as a "shocking loss."
A 22-year-old Boston University student who resides near Loureiro's apartment told The Boston Globe that she heard three loud noises on Monday evening, fearing they were weapon discharges. "I had never heard anything so loud, so I assumed they were gunshots," Liv Schachner said, according to the newspaper. "It's difficult to grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening."
According to The Boston Globe, some of Loureiro's students visited the three-story brick building on Tuesday afternoon to pay their respects, AP noted.
John J. Arrigo, the US ambassador to Portugal, shared an online tribute honoring Loureiro for his leadership and contributions to science, AP reported.
Reflecting on the institute's role upon his appointment to lead the plasma science lab last year, the physicist emphasized its global impact, according to AP. "It's not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity's biggest problems," Loureiro stated. "Fusion energy will change the course of human history."
