MIT professor shot and killed at home, homicide investigation underway

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FILE - Image of Nuno Loureiro, a professor at MIT who was shot and killed at his home on Dec. 15, 2025. (Credit: Jake Belcher/via MIT)

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A professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was shot and killed at his home Monday evening.

Nuno Loureiro, 47, was taken to a local hospital yesterday night for an apparent gunshot wound after Brookline police received a report of a man shot at his home, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s office. 

Loureiro was pronounced dead Tuesday morning. 

"Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving. Focused outreach and conversations are taking place within our community to offer care and support for those who knew Prof. Loureiro, and a message will be shared with our wider community," a university spokesperson told FOX Local. 

What they're saying:

"He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner," Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told a campus publication.

The president of MIT, Sally Kornbluth, said in a statement that Loureiro’s death was a "shocking loss."

MIT professor killed

Dig deeper:

Loureiro was a professor in the departments of Nuclear Science & Engineering and Physics. He was also the director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. 

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting. 

Local perspective:

A 22-year-old student at Boston University who lives near Loureiro's apartment in Brookline told The Boston Globe she heard three loud noises Monday evening and feared it was gunfire. "I had never heard anything so loud, so I assumed they were gunshots," Liv Schachner was quoted as saying. "It’s difficult to grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening."

Some of Loureiro's students visited his home, an apartment in a three-story brick building, Tuesday afternoon to pay their respects, the Globe reported.