Brown University Staff Spotted Alleged Shooter Lurking in the Building 10 Times Before Deadly Attack

A Brown University custodian has come forward with startling revelations that he repeatedly saw the man, later accused in the recent mass shooting, pacing hallways and peering into classrooms weeks before the deadly attack. This has intensified scrutiny on campus security protocols as officials and families seek answers.

Weeks of Suspicious Behaviour

Derek Lisi has served as a custodian at Brown University's Barus and Holley Engineering and Physics Building for many years. He shared with The Boston Globe that he came across the suspected shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, lurking in the building about 10 times starting in early November.

Lisi noticed the man's strange behaviours, such as wandering through the hallways and looking into open classrooms.

'I thought it was someone trying to steal something,' Lisi stated. 'Every time he saw me, I think he thought I was security, because he would always walk away,' he added.

On his final day before winter break, Lisi trailed the man into a parking area after catching sight of him once more. He recalled how the suspect darted into a bathroom when he got closer. 'I said, 'Something's off with this guy, so I gotta say something,'' Lisi thought.

On two occasions prior to the tragedy, Lisi expressed his worries to a campus security guard employed by a private company. However, Lisi expressed that he got little response and was uncertain if his alerts were taken seriously.

Immediate Recognition After the Attack

Upon receiving the emergency alerts regarding an active shooter on 13 December, Lisi's mind immediately went to the suspicious individual he had noticed multiple times before. Following the release of photos by law enforcement, he stated that he immediately recognised the individual, especially due to his distinctive walk and clothes, despite the different face mask.

Lisi said he contacted the public tip line that same night for information. He urged police to review security footage from two specific days when he was certain he had seen the man in the building.

Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and former Brown physics graduate student, faced serious allegations after reportedly entering Room 166 of the Barus and Holley building around 4:00 p.m. and firing a gun. The students were participating in an optional review session on the second day of final exams.

Tragic news has emerged as two students, Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, lost their lives, while nine others sustained injuries.

Neves Valente was subsequently connected to the deadly shooting of MIT physics professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, on 15 December.

Three days later, on 18 December, authorities discovered Neves Valente dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, following a multi-day manhunt.

Calls for Stricter Campus Security

In the wake of these revelations, Lisi is urging for Brown University to tighten building access and security procedures. 'That building has been a free-for-all for a long time. Anybody could just come in,' Lisi said, stressing that unrestricted access may have allowed the suspect to lurk undetected.

Meanwhile, Brown University has announced a range of immediate and longer-term security measures, which include heightened patrols and a more prominent security presence throughout the campus. The university is moving forward with plans to enhance security measures, including the expansion of card-access controls, the installation of more security cameras, and upgrades to emergency alert and threat systems in academic and high-traffic buildings.

An independent external review of campus safety policies and physical security infrastructure is currently in progress, along with a separate after-action review of the attack.