Police have possibly identified and charged a suspect in a mass shooting at Brown University that killed two students, including 19-year-old Ella Cook. Law enforcement is currently surrounding a location in Salem, New Hampshire, where an abandoned car matching the suspect's vehicle was found. License plate readers flagged the car, and authorities believe the suspect used multiple sets of plates. Police in Methuen, Massachusetts, have also mobilized resources to locate a suspect in an active death investigation. Investigators are exploring a potential connection between the Brown University shooting and the killing of MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro two days later. The attacker at Brown killed two students and wounded nine others in an engineering building before escaping. The MIT professor, a physicist and fusion scientist, was killed in his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. While the FBI initially stated no links were known between the cases, sources familiar with the investigation suggest a person of interest has been identified and is being sought.
The Brown University shooting occurred nearly a week ago, and frustration is mounting over the suspect's escape and the lack of a clear image of their face. Authorities have released videos of a masked individual matching the shooter's description from the hours before and after the attack, but the older engineering building where the shooting occurred has limited camera surveillance. Investigators believe the shooter entered and exited through a door facing a residential street, which may explain the lack of clear footage.
Experts note that while it's rare for suspects in such public attacks to evade capture, it can take time. The methodology used by the suspect to evade police is described as effective and sophisticated, a departure from typical active shooter behavior where perpetrators often commit suicide or are apprehended. The suspect is described as about 5 feet 8 inches tall and stocky, with motives still under investigation. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities emphasizing the importance of public assistance in checking for any relevant footage.