Rhode Island police investigating whether Brown University and MIT shootings are linked: Reports

Authorities probing the Brown shooting also told NBC on Thursday that a person of interest in the shooting has been identified, and a warrant is out for their arrest.

Published: December 18, 2025 4:42pm

Updated: December 18, 2025 6:48pm

Police in Rhode Island told reporters Thursday that they are investigating whether the shooting at Brown University over the weekend and the Monday shooting of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor are linked. 

A perpetrator has not yet been identified or arrested in either shooting, but authorities are investigating a possible link based on information that surfaced in the past 24-hours, according to CNN. If the same person is connected, they would have had to travel approximately 50 miles from Providence to Boston to do reconnaissance of each site and carry out separate crimes.

The shooting at Brown University occurred on Saturday, leaving two students dead and nine wounded. Six of the victims are still in the hospital, according to NBC News

Law enforcement has released several videos from the day of the attack, showing the suspected shooter on the streets just off campus. The person in the footage is wearing a mask or has their head turned.

Authorities probing the Brown shooting told Just the News on Thursday that a person of interest in the shooting has been identified, and a warrant is out for their arrest. But the name of the person of interest has not yet been publicly released. 

Law enforcement officials also said they have recovered physical evidence, including DNA, from the Ivy League shooting scene. 

The shooting of the MIT professor on Monday night resulted in the death of the professor Nuno Loureiro, who died on Tuesday. He was shot at his home in Brookline, Mass. Loureiro was a nuclear science and engineering professor from Portugal, and director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

The FBI said earlier this week that there were no clear direct links between the shootings, but as the investigations have continued, authorities are exploring additional leads to see if there is a connection.  

Authorities in Rhode Island are expected to hold a press briefing Thursday afternoon with an update on the investigation at Brown University, but the time of the briefing was not immediately clear after it was delayed beyond 4 p.m. Eastern. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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