Shock rippled through the Boston-area community Monday night when MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was found shot inside his Brookline apartment, authorities said.
According to Fox News, Loureiro died the following morning at a hospital, and police are investigating the incident as a homicide.
Officers from the Brookline Police Department responded after receiving a 911 call from Loureiro’s upstairs neighbor, who heard gunshots while lighting a menorah candle around 8:30 p.m., according to reports.
The neighbor discovered Loureiro lying unresponsive inside the building’s entrance and called emergency services, along with another neighbor and Loureiro’s wife.
“This remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation,” Brookline Chief of Police Jennifer Paster said in a social media post.
“In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, we are limited in the information we can share at this time and ask for the community’s understanding and patience. While we investigate this incident, we will have dedicated patrol cars, officers, and unmarked units in the Gibbs Street neighborhood.”
Authorities have not identified any suspects, and state police confirm the investigation is ongoing.
FBI Boston officials said there appears to be no connection between Loureiro’s death and a recent shooting in Providence, Rhode Island, that left two Brown University students dead.
Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 and was appointed last year to lead the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of the school’s largest laboratories, home to more than 250 researchers, staff, and students.
His work focused on advancing clean energy technology, drawing praise from colleagues and international partners alike.
“Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving,” MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen said. “Focused outreach and conversations are taking place within our community to offer care and support for those who knew Prof. Loureiro.”
Community members gathered Tuesday night to honor Loureiro. Dozens held a candlelight vigil outside his apartment, many in tears. Brookline residents recalled him as kind, welcoming, and deeply involved in his family and neighborhood.
“He was just a great guy, very respectful, very nice,” one local high school student said, remembering Loureiro’s patience and warmth during karate lessons shared with Loureiro’s daughter.
Friends and neighbors described the shooting as senseless and incomprehensible, leaving a family and community struggling to process the loss.
A U.S. ambassador to Portugal also expressed condolences, highlighting Loureiro’s global impact on science and his leadership in fusion research.
From his education in Lisbon and London to postdoctoral work at Princeton and the U.K.’s fusion center, Loureiro’s life was marked by scientific achievement, community engagement, and a devotion to his family — all cut tragically short in Brookline this week.
