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BY COMFORT OGBONNA
Police stepped up their search on Wednesday for the person responsible for the fatal shooting of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro, two days after the prominent physicist was attacked at his home outside Boston. Authorities said the investigation remains active as the academic community across the region grapples with shock and grief over the killing.
Loureiro, 47, was shot late Monday night inside his apartment in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries on Tuesday, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said detectives were continuing to pursue leads, but as of Wednesday afternoon no suspect had been taken into custody and no arrests had been announced.
Investigators emphasized that the case is ongoing and declined to release further details, including a possible motive. The killing has raised alarm at universities across the Boston area, particularly as it comes just days after another deadly shooting near Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where two students were killed and nine others wounded over the weekend. Authorities have said there is no known connection between the two crimes, and the FBI stated on Tuesday that it was unaware of any link.
On Tuesday night, dozens of neighbors, colleagues and community members gathered outside Loureiro’s apartment building to honor his life. Many held candles, while others stood quietly in the cold, offering comfort to one another. Residents found paper notices taped to their doors encouraging them to place candles in their windows as a sign of remembrance. The gathering was largely silent and somber, punctuated by tears and quiet embraces, as a few children rode scooters in from nearby homes to observe the vigil.
The killing occurred while most MIT students were away on winter break, and several students who were on campus on Wednesday said they did not personally know Loureiro. Still, the news has cast a shadow over the university, which is known globally for its scientific research and innovation.
A Boston University student who lives near Loureiro’s Brookline apartment told local media that she heard three loud bangs on Monday evening and immediately feared the sounds were gunshots. She said the noise was unlike anything she had heard before and described the incident as deeply unsettling, adding to a growing sense of unease as gun violence continues to affect communities.
Loureiro, who was married, joined MIT in 2016 and was appointed last year to lead the university’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. In that role, he oversaw one of MIT’s largest research hubs, with more than 250 researchers and staff working across seven buildings. He was a professor of physics and nuclear science and engineering and was widely respected for his work on fusion energy and clean power technologies.
Born in Viseu, in central Portugal, Loureiro completed his early studies in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London. Before moving to the United States, he conducted research at a nuclear fusion institute in Portugal. Colleagues described him as an exceptional scientist and a compassionate leader who was deeply committed to mentoring students and advancing research with global impact.
“He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner,” said Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth called Loureiro’s death a shocking and devastating loss for the university. The office of Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also issued a statement expressing condolences, describing his death as an irreparable loss for science and for all who knew and worked with him.
Loureiro had spoken openly about his belief in MIT’s mission and the transformative potential of fusion energy. When he was named head of the plasma science lab last year, he said the institution was uniquely positioned to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges, adding that fusion energy had the power to change the course of human history.
