Tag: rhode island

Brown University mass shooting and MIT assassination may be connected, police confirm

The Brown University mass shooting which killed two students may be connected to the assassination of an MIT professor two days later, police have said.

An unidentified gunman opened fire on the Brown campus in Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday, and investigators failed to track the attacker down. 

Two days later, an unknown assailant fatally shot Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nuno Loureiro inside his Boston home around 50 miles away. 

FBI agent Ted Docks said Tuesday ‘there seems to be no connection’ between the two shootings, but investigators told WPRI Thursday that there may be a link. 

The outlet did not give further information about the connection, but said it marks ‘a new break in the case’ which has baffled investigators for days. 

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, of Virginia, and Ella Cook, of Alabama, were fatally gunned down during the mass shooting at Brown on Saturday. 

They were in a study session held at the Ivy League’s School of Engineering Barus and Holley Building when a gunman burst in shortly after 4pm and opened fire. 

The gunman fired 40 rounds, killing the two students and wounding 12 more. 

FBI agents have released several photographs and videos of two ‘persons of interest’, but they are yet to name a suspect in the tragedy. 

A different ‘person of interest’ was detained at the Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry the day after the shooting, but they were later released without charge. 

Two days after the Brown shooting, at around 8.30pm Monday evening, married father-of-three Loureiro was shot dead in his home in Brookline, Boston. 

Loureiro’s neighbor and friend, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing shots disturb the peace of their beautiful area on Gibbs Street. 

Cohen said she was lighting a menorah candle when she heard gunshots fired. She rushed to the hallway of their building and found Loureiro lying on his back. 

The professor’s heartbroken wife was also in the entry along with another neighbor, and they scrambled to dial 911. Loureiro was taken to hospital but died the next day.

Loureiro’s neighbors remembered him as a kind-hearted, ‘wonderful man’, while students flocked to the candle-lit vigil in his memory.

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Is Brown University Protecting a Suspect in the Campus Shooting?

The Brown University shooting left two students dead and at least eight wounded. Unfortunately, what has unfolded since the shooting looks less like a serious, focused manhunt and more like an institutional panic about narrative control.

A gunman opened fire in the engineering building Saturday, killing two and wounding at least eight as students prepared for finals. Authorities still have no named suspect and have released only grainy images of a “person of interest.”

The FBI has gotten involved, releasing enhanced video of the “person of interest” and offering up to $50,000 for information, while agents go door to door, seeking camera footage. Despite repeated briefings, the lack of solid leads is obvious, and it is fueling suspicion that officials may be shielding a potential suspect.

Officials from Brown and the city have held press conferences but have offered evasive answers that frustrate the public rather than reassure it. For example, as PJ Media previously reported, police repeatedly refused to address reports that the shooter shouted “Allahu Akbar.” That alone has raised doubts about the investigation’s transparency and competence.

Then there is Brown University’s behavior, which has taken this story from tragic to deeply suspicious. Internet sleuths quickly noticed that Brown was quietly pulling down webpages connected to student assistant Mustapha Kharbouch, leaving many to wonder if there’s a connection between their actions and the investigation.

Archived versions of those pages described Kharbouch as a queer Palestinian activist, a third-generation Palestinian refugee born and raised in Lebanon, a “Free Palestine” and LGBTQ activist with preferred pronouns, whom the university prominently celebrated on its website.

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Rhode Island Democrat AG SNAPS at Reporter When Asked Why Pro-Palestine Activist’s Brown University Profiles Were Scrubbed — Brown University Releases Statement

As the investigation into a shocking mass shooting at Brown University drags into its fourth day with no suspect in custody, Rhode Island’s Democrat Attorney General Peter Neronha snapped at a reporter after being confronted with mounting questions, including why Brown University scrubbed its website of a pro-Palestine activist’s profile.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, one of the victims of the attack was 19-year-old Brown University sophomore Ella Cooke, a devout Christian from Alabama and the Vice President of Brown’s Republican Club.

Fox News host Jesse Watters raised disturbing questions that many Americans are now asking:

“The family of Ella Cooke, the Alabama young woman who was a sophomore, has been told that she was the target of what happened at Brown. I have no idea whether that’s true. But if police are telling students they are safe and don’t need to shelter in place — while they don’t have a suspect in custody — that suggests this was a targeted attack.”

The second Brown University shooting victim has been identified as 18-year-old Uzbekistan immigrant Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.

Watters also noted reports that the shooter may have screamed “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire, though police have refused to confirm the details.

“A guy walks into an Ivy League building, fires off 40 rounds, murders two people, walks out — and three days later, they have no idea who he is. They won’t even say if it was a man or a woman. Police first claimed they had a white Army veteran detained… then admitted, ‘Oops, wrong guy.’”

As police stonewalled the public, internet sleuths noticed something else: Brown University wiped its website of profiles linked to a self-described “Free Palestine” and LGBTQ activist.

(NOTE: The Gateway Pundit is not alleging or asserting that the individual is the shooter at Brown University. No individual mentioned in this report has been charged in connection with the crime unless explicitly stated by law enforcement. As always, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

When reporters asked Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha about the sudden removal of the profiles, he became visibly defensive.

Neronha insisted that if the activist’s name were relevant, law enforcement would be “out looking for that person,” and warned the public against “reading into things.”

He concluded by demanding that the public focus instead on helping police identify the shooter, despite the fact that authorities have released little actionable information.

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Police Release New Images and Video of ‘Person of Interest’ in Deadly Brown University Shooting

The FBI released new images of the ‘person of interest’ in the deadly Brown University shooting.

A total of two people were killed and nine were injured in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University.

Law enforcement took a ‘person of interest’ into custody overnight on Saturday but released him late Sunday.

A manhunt is underway for the ‘armed and dangerous’ Brown University shooter.

The FBI released three new videos of a person of interest and offered a $50,000 reward leading to the ID and arrest of the individual.

“The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.

“Anyone with information please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or the Providence Police Department at 401-272-3121,” Patel said.

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Providence Police Chief Evades Questions, Refuses to Say What Brown Shooter Shouted Before Opening Fire as Reports Indicate He Yelled “Allahu Akbar”

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez Jr., on Monday, evaded questions on the Brown University shooter and declined to say what witnesses claim the shooter yelled before opening fire at the university.

If the shooter were a White male, we would likely know everything about him.

Rhode Island Officials held a press conference on Monday to provide updates on the Saturday shooting and ongoing investigation as the manhunt for the shooter remains underway.

Witnesses say the shooter “yelled something” before killing two students and wounding nine more, and early reports suggest the shooter shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire.

But Perez wouldn’t tell reporters what he said, claiming, “That’s part of the investigation.”

A reporter even pleaded with Perez to tell reporters what the shooter said to help the public identify him, reasoning that “it’s possible a friend or family member might recognize if the person said something that was significant.”

However, Perez claimed that he could not say, suggesting the case may be in jeopardy if he were to share this evidence.

Later, when another reporter pressed Perez, he gave similar answers, dodging the question again. After reporters began to shout questions about apparent cell phone videos from the scene, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley stepped in to declare a wrap on the presser.

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Police Release Person of Interest After Questioning in Brown University Shooting

Law enforcement will be releasing the person of interest in the Brown University shooting.

The manhunt for the Brown University shooter is still underway.

Two people are dead and nine are injured after a gunman opened fire at Brown University on Saturday.

Overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning, police took Benjamin Erickson into custody as a person of interest to question him.

Erickson, a Wisconsin native, was not enrolled as a student at Brown.

Later Sunday, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced law enforcement would be releasing Erickson from custody.

Officials do not have enough evidence to prosecute Erickson.

Police Chief Oscar Perez said the FBI “followed through with” a tip and located a person of interest.

Law enforcement looked into Erickson’s alleged history of mental health issues.

“We will be releasing the person of interest who had been detained earlier today,” said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley.

“We know that this is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community. And we want to reiterate what we said earlier, which remains true… we have not received any credible or specific threats to the Providence community,” he added.

“And so the status of safety in our community remains unchanged. And we believe that you remain safe in our community,” he said.

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Brown University Shooting Suspect Who “Yelled Something Unique” Before Attack On Jewish Studies Classroom Traveled From Wisconsin

It has been nearly 24 hours since a gunman stormed a Brown University classroom taught by Jewish professor Rachel Friedberg, who teaches the intersection of economics and Jewish studies, and reportedly “yelled something unique” before using a handgun and unleashing a hail of bullets in the classroom.

The suspect was apprehended earlier today, but authorities have not released the suspect’s name or a front-facing photograph. Given that Brown is one of the most heavily surveilled campuses in the nation, with more than 800 cameras, the absence of released footage raises questions, especially since the suspect reportedly “yelled something unique” before killing two people and injuring nine others in a Jewish econ-studies classroom.

New details from CNN, citing multiple law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation, say the suspect apprehended earlier today traveled from Wisconsin.

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OUTRAGE: Convicted Child Molester Democrat Who Served Only 15 Months for Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old Girl Is Running for Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island

A Democrat convicted child molester who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl and later violated a no-contact order with the same child is now running for mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.

The horrific criminal history of Michael English, 54, was revealed just days after he announced his 2026 mayoral campaign.

According to reporting from The Providence Journal, English committed multiple sexual acts with the underage girl in 1997 when he was 26 years old.

The Providence Journal reports:

English – who is 54 years old – briefly mentioned in a letter announcing his campaign that he had previously been incarcerated:

“I made immature decisions that led to my arrest and a period of incarceration coupled with I dropped out of Hope High School in 1990 and, simply put, I failed to live up to my potential.”

The immature decisions seemingly refer to the then-26-year-old English’s relationship with a 13-year-old girl.

The Democrat pleaded no contest in 1998 to first-degree child molestation, sexual assault, second-degree child molestation, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Despite prosecutors pushing for serious prison time, he was sentenced to 20 years, with all but 18 months suspended, and he served only 15 months thanks to good-behavior credits.

“Although the Attorney General’s Office recommended a 40-year sentence, with seven years to serve, Superior Court Judge Ronald Gagnon issued English a 20-year sentence, with 18 and ½ years suspended, also ordering English to register as a sex offender,” the Providence Journal reports. “A suspended sentence reduces prison time if the convicted individual fulfills certain requirements. In this case, the judge suspended more than 90% of English’s sentence.”

In 2009, the same victim reported that English drove to her home and tried to contact her again. He was convicted of violating the no-contact order and served another 19 months behind bars. He claimed that he just happened to be living across the street from her.

Shockingly, English is not on Rhode Island’s public sex offender registry because his conviction predated stricter laws, and a court ruled he only had to register locally for 10 years.

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Rhode Island’s US Senators Defend Vote To Ban Hemp Despite Concerns It Will Kill A Growing State Industry

Mike Simpson is one of Rhode Island’s biggest cheerleaders for hemp cultivation and the plant’s derivative products—remedies, he believes, that may help where pharmaceutical medicines cannot.

It’s that very reason Simpson helped co-found Rhode Island’s only outdoor hemp farm, where he says many of the business’ products ship all across the country.

But Lovewell Farms may cease operations now that Congress has approved reopening the federal government under legislation that would effectively ban hemp products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC. Now that it has been signed by President Donald Trump, the ban will go into effect in a year.

“This might be the final straw,” Simpson said in an interview Wednesday. “I may have to shut my whole company down.”

Simpson doesn’t sell intoxicating products, but said crops grown at his Hopkinton farm can contain up to 1 milligram of THC in it, as is allowed under existing Rhode Island hemp regulations.

“I have 700 to 800 pounds of flower that I grew this year that under that law would not be legal,” he said.

Simpson said he would grow crops with lower concentrations, but as a USDA-certified organic farm, there aren’t that many seed suppliers he can buy from.

“We’re really at the whim of what those folks are providing,” he said.

The provision in the shutdown-ending appropriations bill was championed by GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky in order to close a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp but inadvertently paved the way for the proliferation of hemp-derived THC products like infused drinks—products which states have since scrambled to either regulate or ban.

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School District Stymies Transparency By Demanding Six Figures to Provide Anti-Kirk Teacher’s Curriculum

Benjamin Fillo, a teacher at Barrington High School in Rhode Island, came under fire for disturbing comments he made following the political assassination of conservative leader and icon Charlie Kirk.

The school district is now making it difficult for parents to access Fillo’s curriculum through a FOIA request by demanding a six-figure fee to provide the information.

Just the News reports:

Rhode Island’s Barrington Public Schools demanded six figures just to turn over one social studies teacher’s curriculum in response to Access to Public Records Act requests to discern whether Benjamin Fillo’s classroom lessons reflected the viewpoints in his once-public TikTok video that said the “piece of garbage” Kirk got what he deserved.

The district separately estimated that producing Fillo’s roughly 2,200 work emails going back to 2016 that include the word “Trump,” the other APRA request, would cost about $1,100.

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In correspondence shared with Just the News, the district blamed the now-$116,000 estimate on the scope of what Solas requested, Fillo’s curriculum for his full 15 years, and offered $5,500 if Solas would narrow her request to the past five years. To justify its estimate for Fillo’s emails, it cited an opinion by a recurring Solas foe, state Attorney General Peter Neronha.

During Fillo’s unhinged remarks in a video shared on social media, he called Kirk a “piece of garbage” and stated, “I have about as much sympathy for Charlie Kirk right now as I do for all those farmers across the country who want socialist handouts from the government right now.”

“This is a man who hated the LGBTQ community, who hated women’s rights, who hated democracy.”

“Who thought that he was a big man cause he went to college campuses, debated young college students and thought he proved how tough he was with his words that he studied ahead of time.”

“What a piece of garbage. This is what happens,” he said before smugly adding, “Bye, Charlie!”

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