A respected Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was shot and killed inside his suburban Boston home on Monday night, with the assailant still at large.
A Community Shattered by Violence
Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old married father of three, was gunned down at approximately 8:30pm at his residence on Gibbs Street in the leafy Brookline area. The shocking murder occurred just two days after a separate shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island, located roughly 50 miles south, which claimed the lives of two students.
The professor's body was discovered in a shared hallway of the building by his neighbour, Louise Cohen. Cohen told the Boston Globe she was lighting a menorah candle when she heard gunshots shatter the evening's peace. Rushing to the hallway, she found Loureiro lying on his back.
The professor's wife and another neighbour were also present, and they immediately called emergency services. Loureiro was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries the following day.
"I can't sleep now," Cohen said. "This family is so amazing. I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill him... Should we be afraid now?" She described how Loureiro's family often helped her, using a walking stick, by carrying her groceries upstairs to her flat, located directly above theirs.
A Brilliant Career Cut Short
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid heartfelt tribute to Loureiro, honouring him as 'a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist'. He had recently been appointed director of the institute's Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024, leading an institution with over 250 full-time researchers.
Loureiro specialised in nuclear science, engineering, and physics. His academic journey began in his native Portugal at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, where he earned a physics degree. He later obtained a doctorate in physics from Imperial College London in 2005, followed by post-doctoral work at Princeton University.
His career also included a significant stint at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Culham Centre for Fusion Energy between 2007 and 2009. MIT stated he leaves behind "many devoted students, friends, and colleagues".
An Ongoing Investigation and a Community in Mourning
While the FBI has stated there is no link between the Brown University shooting and Loureiro's death, the fact that both perpetrators remain unidentified has heightened anxiety locally. The Norfolk District Attorney's Office confirmed no arrests have been made, labelling the case an "active and ongoing homicide investigation."
In response to the tragedy, the local community and MIT students gathered for a candlelit vigil on Tuesday evening to remember the professor, described by neighbours as a kind-hearted and "wonderful man". Another neighbour, Anne Greenwald, who asked people to light candles in his memory, voiced a shared concern: "There is too much violence going on. This is obviously very close to home."
MIT President Sally Kornbluth acknowledged the profound loss, noting it came "in a period of disturbing violence in many other places." She encouraged those affected to seek support from campus resources, adding that in time, "the many communities Nuno belonged to will create opportunities to mourn his loss and celebrate his life."
