Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old MIT physicist and fusion scientist, was fatally shot at his Brookline home, prompting a homicide investigation with no suspects yet in custody.
Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a prominent 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was fatally shot at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Monday night. He succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, and the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office has launched a homicide investigation, with no suspects apprehended as of Tuesday afternoon. Loureiro, who joined MIT in 2016, was appointed last year to lead MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, aiming to advance clean energy technology. He was married and hailed from Portugal, having earned his doctorate in London. MIT President Sally Kornbluth expressed that his death was a 'shocking loss,' and colleagues like Dennis Whyte lauded him as a 'mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader.' The incident occurs amidst other recent violence, including a shooting near Brown University, though the FBI has stated there's no known connection between the crimes. Neighbors reported hearing loud noises, fearing gunshots. Students visited his home to pay respects, and the U.S. ambassador to Portugal offered condolences. Loureiro was known for his belief that fusion energy would 'change the course of human history.'
