The Providence community spent nearly a week searching for answers after a deadly shooting at Brown University on Saturday, Dec 13. While the police had no information for the community for days, the investigation shifted after an unexpected tip surfaced online.
Authorities later said a Redditor played a central role in identifying the suspect. As a result, police announced the case’s sudden turn late Thursday. They said the suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect allegedly killed two Brown students. Then, two days later, he allegedly shot and killed an MIT professor in his home, 80 miles north of Brown.
Redditor’s tip helped police identify the suspected shooter
Investigators credited a man known as “John” in a Providence police affidavit. He had a strange sidewalk encounter with the suspect near Brown before the shooting that proved crucial to the investigation.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha praised the information John shared. “He blew this case right open,” Neronha said. “When you crack it, you crack it.”
According to police, John had multiple encounters with 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente. These happened before Saturday’s attack at a Brown engineering building. During one encounter, John noticed Neves Valente’s clothing seemed wrong for the cold weather.
After police released photos of a person of interest, John recognized the man. Then he posted on Reddit, identifying a possible vehicle.
“I’m being dead serious,” John urged on Dec. 15. “The police need to look into a grey Nissan with Florida plates, possibly a rental.”
He described the man’s odd behavior further, saying that “he used his key fob to open the car, approached it, and then something prompted him to back away. When he backed away, he relocked the car. I found that odd, so when he circled the block, I approached the car, and that is when I saw the Florida plates.”
Reddit users encouraged John to contact the FBI. Soon after, he said he did. Police learned about the tip on Dec. 16, one day after creating a tip line.
“Respectfully, I have said all I have to say on the matter to the right people,” John later posted on Reddit.
Online reactions poured in after news of the Reddit tip
News that a Redditor helped crack the case sparked strong reactions online. Many users reacted with disbelief, while others aimed criticism at law enforcement.
X user @Wilson__Valdez wrote, “Reddit more helpful than Kash Patel’s FBI. How low everything has sunk…”
@mattmfm added, “Just incredible that a Reddit poster, as confirmed by the Attorney General, was the key witness who helped crack the Brown University and MIT shootings.”
Some mocked the situation outright. “It’s hilarious that a Reddit user cracked the Brown/MIT case,” one post from @WUTangKids read.
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. @CJtwts98 was confused by the mockery people were posting online and said, “The FBI is called the Federal Bureau of INVESTIGATION. Part of an investigation is gathering information from every possible source. […] That’s literally their entire job.”
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.
