A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor was fatally shot at his Brookline home on Monday night, prompting a homicide investigation. Nuno FG Loureiro , 47, a professor of physics, nuclear science, and engineering, died Tuesday at a local hospital.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office confirmed no suspects were in custody as of Tuesday afternoon. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Victim
Professor Loureiro joined MIT in 2016. Last year, he was appointed to lead MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Centre, one of the university’s largest labs.
The Centre employs over 250 individuals across seven buildings. Loureiro, originally from Portugal, completed his undergraduate studies there before earning a doctorate in London.
Before joining MIT, he worked as a researcher at a nuclear fusion institute in Lisbon.
Community Reaction
Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor and former leader of the Plasma Science and Fusion Centre, praised Loureiro. Whyte 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.’
Students visited Loureiro’s Brookline apartment, located in a three-story brick building, on Tuesday afternoon to pay their respects, according to The Boston Globe.
A 22-year-old Boston University student, Liv Schachner, who lives near Loureiro’s apartment, reported hearing three loud noises Monday evening. Schachner told The Boston Globe she ‘assumed they were gunshots.’
US Ambassador to Portugal, John J Arrigo, posted condolences online. He honored Loureiro for his leadership and scientific contributions.
Broader Context
The Brookline homicide investigation occurs as police in Providence, Rhode Island, continue to search for a gunman. That incident on Saturday, approximately 50 miles away, resulted in the deaths of two students and injuries to nine others at Brown University.