Witnesses to the mass shooting at Brown University have reported hearing the gunman emit a strange 'barking noise' moments before he opened fire on students taking their final exams. The attack, which occurred last Saturday in a lecture hall, left two students dead and nine others wounded.
Suspect's Spree and Self-Inflicted Death
The suspected gunman, identified as Claudio Neves Valente, 48, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday evening. Authorities believe the former Brown student and Portuguese national was responsible not only for the campus shooting but also for the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro two days later.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated that many questions regarding the motive remain unanswered. However, he confirmed the bizarre auditory detail provided by some witnesses. 'There are some witnesses who said he said nothing. There are some that say he made a barking noise,' Neronha said during a press conference. 'Don't ask me. I don't know why.'
Public and Online Criticism of Law Enforcement
Law enforcement agencies have faced significant criticism for not identifying and locating Neves Valente swiftly enough to prevent Professor Loureiro's murder. The criticism intensified after it emerged that a Reddit user effectively 'cracked the case' before the FBI.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly led the online charge, stating, 'They're awfully self-congratulatory given the dead MIT professor.' Her sentiment was echoed by numerous social media users who accused investigators of failing Loureiro and being overly self-praising in their subsequent press conferences.
The Crucial Reddit Tip
According to police affidavits, the key breakthrough came from a Reddit user known only as 'John'. This individual had several strange encounters with Neves Valente on a sidewalk outside Brown University before the attack. After police released images of a person of interest, John recognised him and posted his suspicions online, theorising police should look for a grey Nissan rental car.
This tip, received by authorities on December 16, led investigators to footage of a Nissan Sentra with Florida plates. This enabled them to use a network of over 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety to track the vehicle. John provided critical additional details, including an encounter in a campus bathroom hours before the shooting and a subsequent 'game of cat and mouse' on the street where Neves Valente repeatedly fled from him.
Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed Neves Valente was enrolled as a graduate physics student from autumn 2000 to spring 2001 but had no current affiliation with the institution. Both Neves Valente and Professor Loureiro attended the same academic programme at a university in Portugal between 1995 and 2000.
Neves Valente, who studied at Brown on a student visa, eventually obtained legal permanent residence status in the US in September 2017. Following the revelation of the suspect's identity, President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery programme that had allowed Neves Valente to remain in the United States.
