Brown University shooting suspect swapped rental car plates hindering search, AG says

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND: The mass shooting at Brown University has left the campus and the wider community reeling, as investigators continue to piece together the suspect’s movements in the days following the attack.

Authorities have now identified the suspect as Claudio Neves Valente, and new details explain why he remained difficult to locate for several days. According to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, Valente deliberately switched license plates on a rental vehicle, a move that significantly slowed the investigation.

Speaking at a news conference, Neronha said the suspect’s actions appeared calculated. “He knew what he was doing. He was changing plates. That’s why the work of following and finding this car made it more difficult,” the attorney general said, as reported by CNN.

Law enforcement officials also confirmed that the vehicle connected to the suspect was a rental car, a detail that further complicated efforts to track his movements after the shooting.

Plate swap delayed investigators as Claudio Neves Valente attempted to evade detection

Investigators initially made progress after a witness provided a license plate number believed to be connected to the shooting. That information helped authorities begin tracing the vehicle’s path. However, officials said the investigation stalled once Valente changed the plates.

According to two law enforcement officials who spoke to CNN, the breakthrough came when a license plate reader picked up one of the plates associated with the vehicle. The alert led authorities to Salem, New Hampshire, where the rental car was later located.

Police said the car had been abandoned in the area, raising further questions about the suspect’s movements and intentions in the days after the shooting.

Rental car and storage unit helped confirm suspect’s movements

Further investigation revealed that Valente had a storage unit registered in his name at an Extra Space Storage facility in Salem. Authorities believe this connection helped them reconstruct his final movements, despite his efforts to mislead investigators by swapping license plates.

Law enforcement officials later found Valente dead inside the storage facility, according to a source familiar with the investigation. His death brought an end to the manhunt but left investigators focused on understanding how he managed to evade detection for as long as he did.

More details emerge about Claudio Neves Valente

Officials said Valente was 48 years old and a lawful permanent resident of the United States. He entered the country in 2000 on an F-1 student visa and was granted permanent resident status in 2017.

Authorities have not released additional details about a possible motive, and the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. Officials continue to review surveillance footage, witness statements, and forensic evidence to determine the full sequence of events.

As the case develops, law enforcement leaders said the suspect’s deliberate efforts to conceal his movements underscore the challenges investigators faced in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.