‘He was socially awkward’: Former classmate recalls Brown and MIT shooting suspect’s college years

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A former classmate of the suspect behind the mass shooting at Brown University and the subsequent murder of an MIT professor recalls him as a “socially awkward” and “angry” individual during his university years.

Scott Watson, a Syracuse University professor who was once the suspect’s only friend, spoke about Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente’s time on campus.

Former Brown classmate recalls suspect as isolated and socially awkward

Scott Watson, now a physics professor at Syracuse University, told Fox News that he attended Brown University with Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente in 2000 and described himself as his “only friend” at the time.

Watson noted that the Portuguese national was often vocal about his dissatisfaction with life in the United States and the university environment in general.

Reflecting on how their friendship began, Watson explained how the two first bonded.

Watson said, “During his time at Brown, I was essentially his only friend. He was socially awkward, and so was I, which I think is why we connected.” He added, “During orientation he was sitting alone, and I walked up and said hello. He was terse at first, but we eventually broke the ice and became close.”

Former friend says Brown suspect repeatedly complained about campus life

Throughout their time together, Watson observed that Neves-Valente harbored significant bitterness toward his academic surroundings, frequently arguing that the curriculum was too easy for him.

“He often complained about moving to the United States and about the university,” Watson said.

“He would say the classes were too easy. honestly, for him, they were. He already knew most of the material and was genuinely impressive.”

Watson also recalled Neves-Valente’s dislike of the food on campus. “I remember him getting irritated about the quality of food on campus, especially the lack of high-quality fish.”

Former friend recalls Brown suspect’s aggression and abrupt exit

The frustration Neves-Valente felt often manifested as aggression toward others, including a specific classmate whom he targeted with demeaning insults.

“We had another classmate that Claudio would insult and call him his slave. I had to break up a fight once,” Watson said.

While Watson maintains some positive memories of their time together, such as visiting local Portuguese restaurants, he recalled that Neves-Valente could be “kind and gentle.”

The two later lost contact when Neves-Valente abruptly decided to leave the university.

“The last time I spoke with him, we walked to his apartment and I tried to convince him not to leave. He refused, and that was the last time I heard from him,” Watson said. “He told me he was returning to Portugal, though it now appears that may not have been the case.”