BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot at his home near Boston, prompting an immediate homicide investigation by local authorities.
Nuno F.G. Loureiro, aged 47, a respected physicist and the director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot Monday night at his residence in Brookline. He succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made in connection with the case, with the investigation still underway.
Joining MIT in 2016, Loureiro was appointed last year to lead the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of the school’s largest laboratories, where he was committed to advancing clean energy technology. The center employed over 250 people across seven buildings under his leadership.
Loureiro was born and raised in Viseu, Portugal, where he began his academic journey before pursuing higher education in Lisbon and later earning his doctorate in London. Prior to his tenure at MIT, he was a researcher at a nuclear fusion institute in Lisbon.
“He was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner,” said Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who formerly directed MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, in a statement.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth described Loureiro's death as a shocking loss for the MIT community. The institution is grappling with the implications of violence affecting its members.
The homicide probe follows another recent tragedy reported less than a week prior in Providence, Rhode Island, where a gunman opened fire, resulting in multiple casualties at Brown University. Authorities confirmed that there seems to be no link between the two incidents, but concerns about campus safety have significantly intensified.
A Boston University student nearby reported hearing loud noises that evening, expressing fear that they were gunshots. In the wake of this tragedy, discussions surrounding violence in academic settings are resurfacing, as grieving students visited Loureiro’s home to pay respects.
U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, John J. Arrigo, shared condolences online, recognizing Loureiro’s contributions to science and his leadership qualities. “It’s not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity’s biggest problems,” Loureiro stated upon taking charge of the plasma science lab, emphasizing the potential impact of fusion energy on human history.
