Brown Shooting-MIT Professor Murder BOMBSHELL: X Users Spot Nissan Linking Physics Hitman Rampage

A grey Nissan Sentra may have emerged as the unlikely thread connecting two of the deadliest attacks on American academia this month, with eagle-eyed social media users flagging the vehicle link before authorities publicly acknowledged investigating the possible connection.

The discovery of the rental car in Salem, New Hampshire, on Thursday appeared to lend credibility to what X users had been piecing together for days: that the Brown University mass shooting and the fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro might not be isolated tragedies.

What X Users Noticed First

Before official confirmation, social media users were already attempting to connect the dots. One X user noted that Massachusetts State Police had located a grey Nissan Sentra in Salem, reportedly linked to the MIT shooting investigation.

Another user, Serena, responded with alarm: 'Holy crap. Wasn't a grey Nissan also mentioned seemingly sus near the Providence incident as well? With Florida plates or something? I thought I read that earlier. Someone saw a guy messing with one.'

Her observations appeared prescient. Other users corroborated the earlier sighting, with one replying: 'Yes, that was a redditor, they spoke to investigators.' Another confirmed: 'Correct. Grey Nissan Florida plates.' A third suggested the vehicle could be 'a rental with Florida plates.'

'Thankfully!!!' Serena wrote after learning a witness had contacted investigators. 'These sickos [are] likely planning a third attack somewhere if they were involved with MIT too. Friggen hate group or something to pull this off. Seemed organized and have resentments.'

The Chilling Timeline

On Saturday, according to reports, a masked gunman entered a first-floor classroom at Brown University's Barus & Holley building during a study session. The attack killed Ella Cook, 19, from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, from Uzbekistan, according to university officials. Nine others were wounded, with several remaining hospitalised, according to NBC News.

Two days later, Loureiro, a 47-year-old Portuguese physicist who directed MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot at his Brookline apartment on Gibbs Street around 8:30 pm, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office. Neighbours reported hearing multiple gunshots. Loureiro died at a hospital the following morning.

What has drawn speculation is the proximity of the attacks to physics and engineering: the Brown shooting occurred inside an engineering building, while Loureiro was a nuclear science professor. Whether this represents a deliberate pattern remains unknown.

What This Could Mean for Campus Safety

If investigators confirm a single perpetrator or coordinated group carried out both attacks, the implications for university security could be significant. The shooter's apparent ability to evade capture for nearly a week, despite the involvement of local, state, and federal law enforcement, underlines vulnerabilities in rapid response and surveillance.

'Most of the time an active shooter is going to try to commit maximum carnage,' Felipe Rodriguez, a retired New York police detective sergeant, told PBS. 'At this point, they're actually trying to get away. And they're actually evading police with an effective methodology.'

A Manhunt Enters Its Sixth Day

As of Thursday evening, according to Boston 25 News, dozens of police officers surrounded an Extra Space Storage facility in Salem, where the grey Nissan Sentra was reportedly located. According to Patch, the car was believed to be rented, and authorities suspect it was in the vicinity of Loureiro's apartment before he was killed.

Law enforcement sources told multiple outlets that a person of interest has been identified and an arrest warrant obtained. The FBI, which earlier this week said there appeared to be 'no connection' between the shootings, is now actively involved in exploring potential links.

For families of the victims and students at both universities, the possibility that the same attacker may have struck both campuses offers little comfort as they await answers.