MIT professor murder: No obvious suspects or theories, sources say

(BOSTON) — Nearly two days after a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was shot and killed at his home in upscale Brookline, Massachusetts, investigators have no obvious suspects and no working theory of the case, according to multiple sources briefed on the investigation. 

Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was found at his house on Monday night. He was taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on Tuesday, the Norfolk District Attorney’s office said.

Authorities have investigated whether his death could be connected to this weekend’s Brown University shooting, and a senior law enforcement official briefed on both cases told ABC News there is nothing to suggest they’re connected.

Sources said investigators are trying to move quickly, aware the suburban community of Brookline — in which violent crime is rare — is shaken, sources said.

Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster said the department will have a police presence in the neighborhood as the investigation continues.

“The Brookline Police Department remains committed to pursuing justice and ensuring the safety of our community,” Paster added.

The university said Loureiro was a “faculty member in the departments of Nuclear Science & Engineering and Physics, as well as the Director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.”

Loureiro, a native of Portugal, wanted to be a scientist since childhood, according to MIT.

The accomplished scientist joined the MIT faculty in 2016 and “quickly became known as an imaginative scholar, gifted administrator and enthusiastic mentor,” MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement.

“In the face of this shocking loss, our hearts go out to his wife and their family and to his many devoted students, friends and colleagues,” she said.

“This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places. It’s entirely natural to feel the need for comfort and support,” Kornbluth continued. “… In time, the many communities Nuno belonged to will create opportunities to mourn his loss and celebrate his life.”

U.S. 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. We honor his life, his leadership in science, and his enduring contributions.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.