In a gripping update to the investigation into the horrific shootings at Brown University and MIT, the U.S. Department of Justice has released translated transcripts from four videos recorded by Claudio Neves Valente, the 48-year-old Portuguese national identified as the perpetrator. These videos, discovered in a New Hampshire storage unit where Valente took his own life on December 18, 2025, offer a haunting glimpse into his mindset, revealing meticulous planning over “six semesters” and a complete absence of remorse for the lives he shattered. Valente, a former Brown physics graduate student who dropped out in 2003, casually confessed to the attacks in Portuguese, expressing surprise at how long it took authorities to find him and dismissing any apologies for his actions.

The rampage started on December 13, 2025, when Valente entered a lecture hall at Brown in Providence, Rhode Island, and fired more than 40 rounds, killing two students and injuring nine others. Victims included 19-year-old Ella Cook, a sophomore from Alabama majoring in French and economics-math, remembered for her piano talent, fluency in French, and radiant personality that lit up any room. The other was 18-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman and Uzbek American immigrant who had quickly adapted to college life with determination and promise. Survivors recounted the terror as bullets flew, with some diving under seats for cover.

Two days later, on December 15, Valente traveled to Brookline, Massachusetts, to assassinate 47-year-old MIT professor Nuno Loureiro at his upscale townhouse. Loureiro, a plasma physics expert at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center and a former classmate of Valente’s in Portugal, was shot multiple times in what appears to be a targeted act of vengeance. He left behind a devastated family, including his wife and children, who were fortunately not present.

In the transcripts, Valente described scouting Brown’s campus for months, noting he had passed on earlier “opportunities” due to his own hesitation, which he called “inertia.” He chose a Saturday for the attack to exploit lower security and expressed twisted satisfaction in the chaos, though annoyed by an eye injury from ejected shell casings during Loureiro’s murder. “I am sane,” he insisted, rejecting any mental health excuses and attributing his actions to lifelong “hard feelings” stemming from childhood. He showed no empathy for victims, stating, “I am not going to apologize, because during my lifetime no one sincerely apologized to me.” Valente also mentioned sending three emails that night to elaborate on his motives, though their contents have not been publicly detailed, adding another layer of mystery.

The videos end with Valente’s suicide, as he fired a shot believing he had time before discovery. His body was found two days later, aided by a tip from a homeless individual. The manhunt had gripped the Northeast, with campuses on high alert.

This disclosure has intensified calls for enhanced campus security and mental health resources for alumni. Brown and MIT have bolstered patrols and counseling services, while memorials for the victims continue to grow. Funds raised in honor of Cook and Umurzokov support scholarships, keeping their legacies alive. As communities heal, the transcripts serve as a stark warning about the dangers of unresolved grievances, urging vigilance in academic environments where brilliance can sometimes mask deep-seated turmoil.