In brief
Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a prominent physicist and director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot and killed in Brookline, Massachusetts, prompting an ongoing homicide investigation. Loureiro was respected widely in the scientific community and aimed to advance clean energy technologies. As of now, no suspects have been arrested. MIT's president referred to his death as a 'shocking loss'.
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot at his home near Boston, and authorities said Tuesday they had launched a homicide investigation.Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, was shot Monday night at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died at a local hospital on Tuesday, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.The prosecutor’s office stated no suspects had been taken into custody as of Tuesday afternoon, and that the investigation is ongoing.Loureiro, who joined MIT in 2016, was named last year to lead MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, aiming to advance clean energy technology and lead significant research efforts. The center, one of the largest labs in the school, had over 250 staff members working across seven buildings when he became director.Growing up in Viseu, Portugal, Loureiro studied in Lisbon before earning his doctorate in London. He was known for his articulate and compassionate manner, earning the admiration of his peers. Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, described him as a 'mentor, friend, teacher, colleague, and leader'.MIT President Sally Kornbluth expressed that Loureiro’s death was a “shocking loss.”The investigation of Loureiro's homicide coincides with a similar search for suspects in Providence, Rhode Island, following a tragic incident at Brown University where two students were killed.Onlookers reported hearing loud noises around the time of the incident, with one nearby student recalling their fear that they were gunshots. Loureiro's contributions to science and leadership were honored by the U.S. ambassador to Portugal after the news of his death emerged. 'Fusion energy will change the course of human history,' Loureiro had said during his appointment to lead the plasma center.
