Federal investigators feared the gunman linked to shootings at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor may have had additional targets, according to the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts.
Authorities confirmed Thursday morning that the same suspect opened fire on a study group at Brown University and, two days later, murdered MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro.
The revelation intensified concerns that the suspect could have been planning further attacks, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley told ABC News on Friday.
"We had no idea if he had a hit list and these were just the first two stops," Foley said, describing the urgency that drove a multistate manhunt.
The suspect, identified as 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, was later found dead inside a storage unit in New Hampshire from what police said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities said Neves Valente was discovered with two 9 mm Glock handguns equipped with green laser sights, five magazines holding nearly 200 rounds of ammunition and about $900 in cash. Investigators also found additional ammunition and body armor in his vehicle.
"This was highly premeditated," Foley said. "He was definitely equipped for the mission that he sought out to do."
An autopsy was underway Friday to determine how long Neves Valente had been dead before his body was discovered. Ballistics and DNA testing were also ongoing as investigators worked to piece together the timeline of events.
Authorities said they were examining three USB thumb drives recovered from the suspect's car for possible clues about motive or additional targets. At this stage, investigators have not confirmed whether Neves Valente planned further attacks, the report said.
Foley said investigators believe both Brown University and Loureiro were intentional targets, though the motive remains unclear.
"I don't know that even if he had explained why, that that would be an answer satisfactory to anyone," Foley said. "He was evil."
The possibility of additional attacks prompted federal agents to expand the search across four New England states. Law enforcement officials also increased security at major transportation hubs, including airports in Boston and Hartford, amid concerns the suspect could flee the region.
Authorities said Neves Valente had already switched license plates at least once. Another expired license plate was found inside his vehicle.
According to school officials, Neves Valente was a former Brown graduate student who enrolled in the university's physics Ph.D. program in 2000 but left less than a year later.
He and Loureiro were both Portuguese nationals and had previously attended the same physics engineering program at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, the school confirmed to ABC News.
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