Police in the United States have launched a homicide investigation after a distinguished Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor was shot and killed at his home near the university campus.
Prominent Scientist Gunned Down Near Campus
Nuno FG Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, was shot on Monday night at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. Emergency services rushed the professor to hospital following the incident, but the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office confirmed he died from his injuries on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, prosecutors stated that no suspects had been taken into custody. The investigation into the fatal shooting remains active and ongoing.
A Career Dedicated to Clean Energy Cut Short
Loureiro, who joined the elite MIT faculty in 2016, was appointed last year to lead the institute’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. In this role, he aimed to pioneer advancements in clean energy technology. The centre is one of MIT’s largest laboratories, comprising more than 250 staff across seven buildings at the time he assumed leadership.
Originally from Viseu in central Portugal, Loureiro studied in Lisbon before earning his doctorate in London. Prior to his tenure at MIT, he worked as a researcher at a nuclear fusion institute in Lisbon.
Colleagues have paid heartfelt tributes. Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led the fusion centre, told a campus publication that Loureiro "shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader" and was "universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner."
Community in Shock Amid Broader Regional Tensions
The killing has sent shockwaves through the academic community and the local area. The homicide probe in Brookline comes as police in Providence, Rhode Island—approximately 50 miles away—continue to search for a gunman who killed two students and injured nine others at Brown University on Saturday. The FBI has stated it is aware of no connection between the two crimes.
A 22-year-old Boston University student living near Loureiro’s apartment told The Boston Globe she heard three loud noises on Monday evening. "I had never heard anything so loud, so I assumed they were gunshots," Liv Schachner said. "It’s difficult to grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening."
On Tuesday afternoon, some of Professor Loureiro’s students visited his home, a three-story brick apartment building, to pay their respects.
The US Ambassador to Portugal, John J Arrigo, honoured Loureiro’s leadership and scientific contributions in an online post expressing condolences.
Reflecting on his work last year upon his appointment, Loureiro highlighted the monumental potential of his field: "It’s not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity’s biggest problems. Fusion energy will change the course of human history." His tragic death marks a profound loss for the global scientific community.
