A senior MIT professor and lab director, Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was shot multiple times at his home on Gibbs Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, in what authorities are treating as an active homicide investigation. Police responded to reports of gunfire Monday night and found Loureiro gravely wounded; he was rushed to a Boston hospital for emergency treatment but did not survive.
Investigators say no suspect has been taken into custody, and officials have released limited details as the case remains “active and ongoing.” ABC News reports investigators have also looked at whether the killing could be connected to a separate weekend shooting at Brown University, but a senior law-enforcement official briefed on both cases said there is currently nothing suggesting a link.
Loureiro held appointments in MIT’s Nuclear Science & Engineering and Physics departments and served as director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of the institute’s flagship hubs for fusion and plasma research. Beyond the immediate tragedy, the loss hits a sensitive nerve: fusion research sits at the intersection of national competitiveness, clean-energy ambition, and high-stakes international collaboration, and Loureiro was a central figure in that ecosystem.
In Israel, several outlets have framed the killing through a separate lens, describing Loureiro as Jewish and publicly pro-Israel. Israeli reporting has also pointed to what it says are exterior images of his residence showing a “Stand with Israel” sign. Those claims have not been confirmed by U.S. authorities, and investigators have not publicly identified a motive or labeled the shooting as politically or hate-related at this stage.
Still, the broader environment matters. Brookline and the greater Boston area have seen heightened tension around Jewish life and Israel-related public expression over the past year, including vandalism incidents that local police investigated as potential hate crimes. None of that is evidence of a connection here, but it’s part of the backdrop as the community waits for facts.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth called the death a “shocking loss,” as the institute began outreach to students and staff who worked closely with Loureiro. With the gunman still at large and key details withheld, the next updates that will change this story are straightforward: whether investigators identify a suspect, whether they disclose any targeted element, and whether prosecutors clarify motive once evidence is secured.
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