Federal Prosecutors Release Videos Showing Brown University Shooter’s Long-Planning and Lack of Remorse
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday unveiled transcripts from videos allegedly recorded by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the gunman responsible for the December 2025 shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The recordings, recovered from a storage unit in Salem during a federal search warrant executed on December 18, reveal that Neves Valente planned the attack over an extended period and expressed no remorse for his actions.
Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, killed two Brown University students, Ella Cook, 19, and Muhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, during the December 13 shooting on the Providence campus. Nine others were wounded in the attack. Just two days later, he fatally shot Nuno Loureiro, a 47-year-old MIT professor, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Authorities have yet to determine a clear motive for the shootings, though Neves Valente identified Brown University as his intended target.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the videos were recorded in Portuguese and later translated into English. In one excerpt, Neves Valente stated, “It’s done. It was, it was six months, man. Not six months, six semesters. Uh. I had already planned this for a little more,” underscoring the long-term nature of his preparations.
Despite the gravity of his crimes, Neves Valente repeatedly rejected any expression of remorse. He stated, “I am not going to apologize, because during my lifetime no one sincerely apologized to me,” and dismissed mental illness as an excuse, calling it “all bull—- excuses.” He insisted, “I am – I am sane. I’ve always been, more or less [sane].”
In a chilling remark, Neves Valente referenced former President Donald Trump’s characterization of him, saying, “President Donald Trump was right to have called me an animal, which is true. I am an animal, and he is also, but uhm, I have no love–I have no hatred towards America, I also have no hatred at all. This was an issue of… of opportunity.”
The release of these videos comes as Brown University grapples with the aftermath of the tragedy. The institution has hired former U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha to assist with campus safety and legal matters related to the incident. The investigation into the shooter’s motive continues, with federal and local authorities collaborating closely.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been integral in the ongoing inquiry, working alongside state and local law enforcement agencies to piece together the timeline and circumstances surrounding the attacks.
As the community mourns the loss of life and seeks answers, officials emphasize the importance of vigilance and support for those affected. The tragic events at Brown University and MIT underscore the complex challenges of campus security and the persistent threat posed by individuals who meticulously plan acts of violence.
For more information on campus safety and federal efforts to prevent mass shootings, visit the Campus Security Resources and the Department of Homeland Security’s Mass Violence page.
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