The tragic events surrounding the recent shooting incidents at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have left communities in shock.
The suspected gunman, Claudio Neves Valente, was found deceased in a New Hampshire storage facility, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days prior to the discovery, as confirmed by officials on Friday.
According to the Daily Caller, Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national and former graduate student at Brown University, was identified as the perpetrator of the shooting spree at Brown University. This attack resulted in the deaths of two students, Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old Uzbek American freshman, while nine others sustained injuries. The manhunt for Valente concluded when police discovered his body inside a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, on Thursday night.
Valente's connection to Brown University dates back over two decades when he attended as a doctoral student, though he left the program in 2003 after three semesters. Following the Brown University shooting, Valente traveled approximately 50 miles to Brookline, Massachusetts, where he fatally shot MIT professor Nuno Loureiro. The two had previously studied together at the Instituto Superior Tcnico in Portugal, yet authorities have not disclosed any motive linking the two tragic events.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha expressed uncertainty regarding Valente's motivations, stating, I dont think we have any idea why now, or why Brown, or why these students, why this classroom, during a press conference, as reported by Reuters. Witnesses described Valente's bizarre behavior during the attack, noting he made strange "barking" noises and fired over 40 rounds without speaking.
Valente's movements prior to the shootings included traveling from Florida and renting a storage unit in New Hampshire in November. He also rented a gray Nissan with Florida plates on December 1, which was seen near Brown University's campus multiple times until December 12. Valente initially arrived in the United States on an F-1 student visa in August 2000 and later secured lawful permanent residency in April 2017 through the Diversity Immigrant Lottery.
In response to these events, the Trump administration has taken decisive action to suspend the green card lottery program that facilitated Valente's residency. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on X,
In 2017, President Trump fought to end this program, following the devastating NYC truck ramming by an ISIS terrorist, who entered under the DV1 program, and murdered eight people. At President Trumps direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.
As the investigation into these tragic killings continues, questions remain about the underlying motivations and circumstances that led to such senseless violence. The conservative perspective emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing immigration policies to safeguard American citizens, highlighting the need for a thorough review of programs like the Diversity Immigrant Lottery.
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