> At a Glance
> – Claudio Neves Valente recorded videos admitting he planned the Brown University and MIT attacks for six semesters
> – He killed two Brown students, wounded nine, and murdered MIT professor Nuno Loureiro in December
> – Valente denied being mentally ill and said he felt no need to apologize for his actions
> – Why it matters: The Justice Department’s release reveals premeditation and clears up false rumors about the attack
The man who carried out the deadly December attacks at Brown University and MIT had been planning the assaults for months, according to chilling video confessions released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice. Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student, left behind recordings that detail his calculated approach and disturbing mindset.
Planned for Months
Valente admitted in Portuguese that he had been working out the details for at least six semesters. He didn’t provide a motive for targeting Brown or MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, a former classmate from Portugal.
In the videos, recovered from an electronic device at the New Hampshire storage facility where Valente’s body was found, he said:
> “I never wanted to do it in an auditorium. I wanted to do it in a regular room. I had plenty of opportunities. Especially this semester, I had plenty of opportunities, but I always chickened out.”
Attack Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Dec. 13 | Killed two Brown students, wounded nine in engineering building |
| Dec. 15 | Murdered MIT professor Nuno Loureiro in Brookline home |
| Dec. 18 | Found dead in New Hampshire storage facility |
Valente had rented the storage space for three years, suggesting long-term planning. He expressed surprise at how long it took authorities to identify him after a witness recognized his license plate and posted about it on Reddit.
No Remorse, No Apology
Valente was defiant in his recordings, saying he felt no need to apologize because “no one sincerely apologized to me” during his lifetime. He also addressed false claims that he had spoken Arabic during the attack:
> “I didn’t speak a word of Arabic or intend to make any kind of statement. If I said anything, I must have made an exclamation like, ‘Oh no!’ or something like that.”
He explained this was because he initially thought the auditorium was empty (students were hiding under desks) and expressed disappointment that they might have escaped.
Key Takeaways
- Valente planned the attacks for over a year while maintaining a normal appearance
- He obtained legal permanent residence in the U.S. in 2017 after arriving 25 years ago as a student
- The Justice Department’s release debunks conspiracy theories about the attack
- Brown University is launching a full recovery plan to help the community heal
The videos provide disturbing insight into a calculated killer who insisted he wasn’t mentally ill but simply wanted to control his own narrative, saying his “only objective was to leave more or less” on his “own terms.”
