MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Killed in Brookline Shooting/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ MIT physicist Nuno Loureiro was fatally shot outside his Brookline home Monday night. Authorities continue searching for a suspect, with no arrests made as of Wednesday. The killing shocked both MIT and international science communities mourning his loss.
MIT Professor Shooting – Quick Look
- Victim: Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, physicist and MIT fusion energy researcher
- Incident: Fatally shot outside his Brookline apartment on Monday night
- Status: Ongoing homicide investigation, no suspects identified or arrested
- Background: Loureiro led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center
- Reaction: MIT, Portuguese president, and scientific colleagues express shock and grief
- Community Impact: Students and neighbors mourn, recall his global contributions
- Witness Reports: Nearby resident heard loud noises believed to be gunshots
- No Link: FBI confirms no connection to recent Brown University shooting
- Legacy: Loureiro was known for clean energy work and global research leadership
MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Killed in Brookline Shooting; Investigation Ongoing
Deep Look
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Authorities are actively searching for a suspect in the fatal shooting of MIT physicist and fusion researcher Nuno F.G. Loureiro, who was killed earlier this week outside his Brookline, Massachusetts apartment. The case remains unsolved as of Wednesday.
The 47-year-old professor, who led the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was shot Monday evening and later died at a local hospital on Tuesday, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
Police have not made any arrests, and no suspect has been identified. Officials say the homicide investigation is ongoing.
Loureiro’s death follows a wave of concern in the academic community, as Brown University — just 50 miles away in Providence, Rhode Island — is also coping with an unrelated shooting that left two students dead and nine others injured over the weekend. The FBI confirmed Tuesday there is no known connection between the incidents.
Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 and became director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024. The center, one of MIT’s largest laboratories, supports over 250 researchers working across various disciplines focused on fusion energy and plasma science.
The scientist was internationally known for his work in nuclear fusion, aiming to develop technologies that could one day power the planet with clean, limitless energy. He was born in Viseu, Portugal, studied in Lisbon, and later earned his Ph.D. in London. Before coming to MIT, he was a researcher at Portugal’s Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth called his death a “shocking loss.” His former colleague Dennis Whyte, who previously led the fusion lab, said Loureiro was “universally admired” and known for his “articulate, compassionate manner.”
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also issued a statement expressing condolences, calling Loureiro’s death “an irreparable loss for science and for all those with whom he worked and lived.”
A nearby Boston University student, Liv Schachner, told The Boston Globe she heard three loud sounds on Monday evening near the scene and immediately feared they were gunshots.
“It just seems like it keeps happening,” she said of the growing number of shootings.
Some of Loureiro’s students and colleagues visited the site on Tuesday afternoon to pay their respects.
Loureiro had spoken about his passion for scientific discovery and the promise of fusion energy.
Upon being named head of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center last year, he said, “It’s not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity’s biggest problems. Fusion energy will change the course of human history.”
Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact Brookline law enforcement as the investigation continues.
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