Crime
Rented Vehicle in Brown University Shooting Matches Make and Model of Car Tied to MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Death
Authorities on Thursday confirmed they have identified a person of interest in the fatal shooting at Brown University and are examining whether there may be a possible connection to the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, according to two individuals briefed on the investigation who were not authorized to speak publicly.
Investigators are actively searching for the individual and for a vehicle believed to have been rented by the person of interest, one official said.
Authorities have not publicly named a suspect in either the Brown University shooting or the separate homicide in Brookline, Massachusetts.
According to officials, investigators believe the rented vehicle is the same make and model as a car previously identified in connection with the shooting death of the MIT professor.
As a result, law enforcement agencies issued an alert to police departments across the Boston area, directing officers to be on the lookout for the vehicle.
The alert warned that anyone inside the car could be armed and dangerous and was wanted in connection with the Brookline homicide.
The bulletin did not reference the Brown University shooting.
The shooting at Brown occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. Saturday when a masked individual dressed in black entered a lecture hall inside the Barus and Holley Science Building, where students had gathered for a review session ahead of final exams.
Witnesses reported that the gunman shouted something unintelligible before opening fire.
Two students were killed in the attack: MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, of Virginia, and Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore from Alabama.
Nine additional students were wounded, and as of Thursday afternoon, six remained hospitalized, all listed in stable condition.
The shooting prompted a massive law enforcement response, with approximately 400 officers from multiple agencies deployed to the Brown campus and surrounding East Side neighborhood.
Heavily armed officers conducted room-by-room searches of campus buildings, while others canvassed nearby streets. Police helicopters were deployed overhead, but the gunman was able to flee the scene.
On Monday night, authorities in Brookline, Massachusetts, responded to a report of a shooting at the home of Dr. Nuno F. G. Loureiro, a professor at MIT. Dr. Loureiro was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead early Tuesday morning.
Initially, Ted Docks, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston field office, stated there appeared to be “no connection” between the Brown University shooting and Dr. Loureiro’s death. However, investigators have since continued to examine potential links as new information emerged during the search for the person of interest.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, police detained a 24-year-old man described at the time as a person of interest, briefly easing tensions in Providence following the campus lockdown. However, authorities later said forensic and scientific testing cleared the individual, and he was released without charges.
Officials emphasized that the investigation remains active and fluid.
No arrests have been announced, and authorities have urged the public to avoid speculation as investigators continue to follow verified leads.
Law enforcement agencies are asking anyone with information related to either case, or sightings of the vehicle in question, to contact police immediately.
Orlando, Fla. — Family and friends of 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz are seeking answers and accountability following his fatal shooting outside a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub early Sunday morning.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers responded at approximately 2:31 a.m. on February 22, 2026, to the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue, just north of Lake Ivanhoe, in reference to a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located Cruz suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities confirmed Cruz was born May 18, 1992.
Detectives determined that prior to the shooting, Cruz and the suspect were involved in a verbal and physical altercation on the sidewalk outside the nightclub district. Investigators say that during the dispute, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and shot Cruz.
The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which patrol officers later located in the 200 block of East New Hampshire Avenue, approximately two blocks from where the shooting occurred.
Police subsequently arrested 37-year-old Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr (DOB: October 29, 1988). He has been charged with Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Authorities confirmed this case marks the third homicide in Orlando in 2026.
Cruz’s father, Anthony Cruz, said his son and his partner had been at Savoy Orlando enjoying the evening before the violence unfolded.
According to the family, as the couple exited the club after closing time, a vehicle sped past them. Cruz’s partner allegedly yelled toward the occupants of the vehicle, prompting the car to stop. A physical altercation then reportedly began between Cruz’s partner and one of the individuals from the vehicle.
“When they fought, my son saw that was happening. My son went to intervene, and when he intervened, another guy got out of the car, and he got shot,” Anthony Cruz said. “My son didn’t deserve what happened. All I have left is a shirt — a shirt with a bullet hole.”
While police have charged Borja Gil De La Madr, Cruz’s family maintains that another individual may have been directly responsible for pulling the trigger. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether additional suspects are being sought.
A small memorial has formed across from the nightclub, where members of the community have gathered to honor Cruz’s memory.
Joshua Cooper, owner of Savoy Orlando, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community, even though the shooting occurred off the club’s property.
“I didn’t know the victim, but from everything I’ve been told, I wish I had,” Cooper said. “He seemed like a great kid. Seeing a family that is so heartbroken and so supportive of this community says so much.”
The Orlando Police Department has not released additional information regarding potential additional suspects. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation and shooting.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline.
The investigation remains active.