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Three Students Injured in Brown University Shooting File Lawsuits Alleging Security Failures
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three students wounded in the December shooting at Brown University have filed lawsuits against the Ivy League institution, claiming the school disregarded prior warnings about the gunman and failed to provide adequate security measures that might have averted the tragedy.
The legal complaints, submitted last week in Rhode Island Superior Court, contend that Brown neglected to maintain “reasonable and appropriate security measures,” resulting in serious physical and emotional harm to the plaintiffs, who remain unnamed.
“One of the lawsuits states that as a direct and proximate result of Brown’s negligence, the plaintiff suffered grave and severe personal injuries, enduring significant pain of body, mind, and nervous system,” according to court documents.
Brown University has acknowledged the lawsuits and is reviewing them carefully. A spokesperson, Brian Clark, emphasized respect for the plaintiffs’ privacy and declined to comment on the merits of the case at this time.
The shooting unfolded on December 13, when 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente entered a study session in an academic building and opened fire, killing sophomore Ella Cook, 19, and freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, while injuring nine others.
Authorities reported that two days later, Valente, who had been a graduate physics student at Brown roughly two decades ago, fatally shot MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home in the Boston area.
The gunman was found dead by suicide shortly afterward in a New Hampshire storage facility. An autopsy confirmed his death coincided with that of Professor Loureiro on December 16.
According to the lawsuits, campus security was previously alerted by a custodian who reported that Valente had been “casing” the building, but no investigation followed.
Following the shooting, Brown’s president placed campus police on leave while conducting a review of security policies. Questions remain about the presence of security cameras in the building where the attack occurred and the general accessibility of campus facilities.
The ongoing legal actions highlight concerns over campus safety protocols and the university’s response prior to the deadly incident.