An MIT professor was shot and killed at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Monday night, prompting a major homicide investigation and shocking a community known for its safety.
Nuno Loureiro, 47, the director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the foyer of his apartment building on 15 December. He died in the hospital the following morning. Authorities have not yet made any arrests or announced a motive for the killing.
Details of the Attack
Brookline police received calls reporting gunshots at approximately 20:30 on Monday evening. When they arrived at the apartment building on Gibbs Street near Coolidge Corner, they found Loureiro with several gunshot wounds. Paramedics transported him to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on Tuesday morning.
Deputy Superintendent Paul Campbell told reporters that no arrests have been made. The Norfolk District Attorney’s office confirmed that it is ‘an active and ongoing homicide investigation’ but stated that no other details would be released at this time.
A Leading Figure in Fusion Science
Loureiro was a prominent figure in fusion science. He had been appointed director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Centre in May 2024. The centre is one of the university’s largest labs, with over 250 researchers and staff. He also held teaching positions in both the Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Physics departments.
Originally from Viseu, Portugal, Loureiro completed his undergraduate degree in Lisbon before earning his PhD at Imperial College London in 2005. He joined MIT in 2016. His research focused on plasma behaviour and fusion science, intending to develop clean energy from fusion reactors.
MIT confirmed his death Tuesday. ‘Sadly, I can confirm that Professor Nuno Loureiro, who died early this morning, was a current MIT faculty member,’ said spokesperson Kimberly Allen. ‘Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving.’ The university’s providing support for people who knew him.
In January, Loureiro received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Joe Biden, one of the highest honours in American science. He was nominated for his work on how magnetic fields are generated in the universe. He had previously won the American Physical Society’s Thomas H. Stix Award in 2015 and the NSF CAREER award in 2017.
Community in Shock
Anne Greenwald, a resident of the area for 40 years, told reporters she and her husband heard what sounded like shots on Monday evening. ‘He had a young family, they went to school here,’ she said. ‘It’s horrible, very scary.’
Another neighbour said he heard ‘three loud bangs’ and initially thought someone was kicking a door. ‘I called the neighbours and they said no, they thought it was gunshots,’ he told CBS News.
County records show Loureiro owned a unit in the building at 9 Gibbs Street. After the shooting, local schools put extra police officers around to reassure parents and kids, though officials said there’s no ongoing threat to the community.
International Shock and Ongoing Investigation
The US Ambassador to Portugal, John J Arrigo, said in a statement: ‘I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Nuno Loureiro, who led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center,’ he wrote. ‘We honor his life, his leadership in science, and his enduring contributions.’
Brookline police are working with Massachusetts State Police, MIT police and the Norfolk District Attorney’s office on the investigation. They are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
