US investigating possible connections between deadly Brown University shooting, killing of MIT professor

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - US authorities said Thursday they are investigating possible connections between the deadly shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island and the targeted killing of a Massachusetts professor two days later, according to media reports.

Investigators said that a person of interest has been identified and a manhunt is underway for the suspect.

A gunman killed two students and injured nine others after opening fire inside an engineering classroom on the Brown University campus in Providence, during final exams on Saturday.

Police said a male suspect managed to escape and the FBI used video surveillance to identify a potential suspect.

Two days later, law enforcement said Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, was found shot Monday at his home in the Boston suburb of Brookline. He died the next day at the hospital.

Authorities believe both shootings may be linked, but have not released information on the cases.

The person in the video surveillance images wore black clothing and a face mask. None of the footage had a clear view of the suspect's face.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect.

The two students killed in the shooting were identified as Ella Cook, a sophomore from the state of Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an Uzbek American freshman.

"Both were brilliant and beloved, as members of our campus community, but even more by their friends and families," Brown University President Christina Paxson said in a statement. "Our hearts continue to be with them in their profound sorrow."