The Massachusetts Institute of Technology community is mourning the tragic loss of Professor Nuno F Gomes Loureiro, a 47-year-old nuclear science and engineering scholar from Portugal, who succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds sustained during a violent attack at his Brookline residence. The incident occurred on Monday evening at approximately 8:30 PM local time, when law enforcement officers responded to emergency calls reporting gunshots at an apartment complex.
According to official statements from Brookline police and MIT administration, Professor Loureiro was transported via ambulance to a Boston-area medical facility where he fought for his life until Tuesday morning. The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that no suspects have been apprehended and authorities are treating the case as an active homicide investigation.
Eyewitness accounts obtained by CBS News describe hearing three distinct loud noises that initially sounded like door breaches rather than gunfire. Long-time neighborhood resident Anne Greenwald shared with reporters that the accomplished physicist maintained a low profile while raising his young family in the community and frequently utilized local educational institutions.
Professor Loureiro’s academic journey spanned continents and prestigious institutions. His faculty profile indicates he completed his undergraduate studies in Physics at Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico in 2000, followed by a doctorate in physics from Imperial College London in 2005. His untimely death represents not only a personal tragedy but a significant loss to the international scientific community, particularly in the specialized field of nuclear engineering.
The investigation continues as law enforcement officials pursue all leads regarding this shocking act of violence that has rattled both the academic community and suburban neighborhood where it occurred.