The homeless man whose crucial tip helped police identify the gunman behind the deadly Brown University shooting is no longer living on the streets and is now being cared for by federal authorities. Known publicly only as 'John', the man is currently housed in a hotel with meals provided, a source has confirmed.
From Basement Dweller to Key Witness
John, who had been regularly sleeping in the basement of Brown University's Barus and Holley building, had several encounters with the suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, in the hours before the attack. According to a police affidavit, John first saw the 48-year-old Portuguese national in a campus bathroom, noting his clothing was 'inappropriate and inadequate for the weather'.
Later, outside the building, John witnessed Valente behaving suspiciously near a grey Nissan Sentra with Florida plates. A strange interaction ensued, which John described as a 'game of cat and mouse'. He reportedly shouted, 'Your car is back there, why are you circling the block?' Valente responded, 'I don't know you from nobody' and accused John of harassing him before fleeing.
The Reddit Tip That Broke the Case Open
When police released images of the person of interest days after the shooting, John took to the Providence subreddit. 'I'm being dead serious,' he wrote on December 16th. 'The police need to look into a grey Nissan with Florida plates, possibly a rental.' He provided precise details about seeing Valente use a key fob.
Reddit users urged him to contact the FBI, which he did. This tip was a major breakthrough; until that point, investigators had not connected a vehicle to the shooter. The information allowed Providence police to access a network of over 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety, ultimately tracking Valente's movements.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated that John 'blew this case right open.' Providence Mayor Brett Smiley echoed this sentiment, calling John 'no less than a hero' in a letter to the FBI and urging the agency to grant him the $50,000 reward offered for information.
Aftermath and a Possible Reward
Claudio Neves Valente was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage unit on Thursday, December 21st. He is believed to be responsible for the shooting at Brown University on Saturday, December 17th, which killed two students—Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov—and wounded nine others. He is also suspected of murdering MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his Massachusetts home two days later.
While in federal care, John could potentially receive the $50,000 FBI reward. Online, strangers have invited him for Christmas dinner and suggested he deserves a 'key to the city and free coffee and doughnuts for life'.
Valente, a former Brown graduate student, was in the US on a permanent residence status obtained in 2017. His connection to Professor Loureiro dates back to them both attending the same academic program in Portugal in the late 1990s.
