Sad and shocking news from Boston. A top scientist from MIT was shot and killed outside his home. His name was Nuno Loureiro, and he led a key lab for nuclear fusion research. Let’s go over what we know in simple words.
What Happened?
The shooting took place on Monday night, around 8:30 p.m., in Brookline – a nice area near Boston. It was in front of his home on Gibbs Street.
Police got calls about shots fired. When they arrived, they found Nuno with several bullet wounds. He was taken to a hospital in Boston, but he died the next morning. He was 47 years old.
Neighbors heard three loud bangs. At first, they thought someone was trying to break in a door.
No one has been arrested yet. Police are treating this as a homicide and still investigating. They have not shared any ideas about why this happened.
Who Was Nuno Loureiro?
Nuno was from Portugal. He was a smart physicist who studied plasma – that’s the stuff needed for nuclear fusion, like making clean energy from the sun’s power.
He became director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) at MIT in May 2024. This lab has over 250 people working on ways to make unlimited clean energy with no carbon emissions.
His work helped understand how plasmas behave in space and in fusion machines. He won big awards and was seen as a leader in this field.
Nuno had a young family. His kids went to a school nearby. This has hit the neighborhood hard.
Reactions
MIT said they are very sad. They sent condolences to his family, students, and coworkers. The school is offering help to everyone who knew him.
In Portugal, the Foreign Minister told Parliament about the death. The government called him important to science worldwide and sent sympathy to his family.
What’s Next?
The investigation is ongoing. Police are working to find out more.