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Confessional videos reveal months of planning
Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, recorded detailed videos outlining his preparation for the December 13 shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, investigators disclosed Tuesday. The Portuguese national stated he spent "six semesters" plotting the attack that left two students dead and nine injured.
No clear motive, but no remorse
Transcripts of the Portuguese-language recordings, released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, show Valente defending his actions without explaining why he targeted the Ivy League campus. He expressed frustration over a self-inflicted injury during the MIT professor's killing two days later, blaming a discharged bullet casing that struck his eye.
"I have no hatred towards America," Valente said, though he called his immigration to the U.S. a "mistake." He denied having a mental illness and rejected claims the attack stemmed from animosity toward the country.
Timeline of violence and manhunt
The December 13 rampage at Brown University killed first-year students Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18. On December 15, Valente fatally shot MIT professor Nuno Loureiro in his Boston-area home before taking his own life. His body and the videos were discovered in a New Hampshire storage unit on December 18 after a three-state manhunt.
Investigators believe Valente and Loureiro attended the same university in Portugal and may have known each other.
Criticism over police response
The delayed identification of the suspect drew public backlash. In the videos, Valente remarked, "I honestly never thought it would take them so long to find me." He also described being confronted by a witness during the campus attack.
Investigation ongoing, no active threat
Prosecutors emphasized that while the probe continues, there is no current danger to the public. They noted Valente's chilling lack of remorse, including his claim that the victims-whom he called "innocent, unarmed children"-were responsible for their own deaths.
The U.S. Justice Department confirmed the authenticity of the videos, which were translated into English for release.
