MIT professor shot at his Massachusetts home dies

December 16, 2025

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, was fatally shot at his Brookline apartment on Monday evening and succumbed to his injuries the following morning. The 47-year-old Portuguese physicist specialized in magnetized plasma dynamics and fusion research, serving as director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center since 2024.

Who is affected

Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro (the victim, deceased)
Loureiro's young family
MIT students, colleagues, and faculty
The MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center staff
Residents of the Brookline apartment building
The broader MIT community

What action is being taken

Police are conducting an active and ongoing homicide investigation
The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office is involved in the investigation
MIT is conducting focused outreach and conversations within the community to offer care and support for those who knew the professor

Why it matters

This homicide represents the loss of a leading scientist whose research on magnetized plasma dynamics and fusion power addressed critical challenges in clean energy and climate change mitigation. His work explored fundamental problems in fusion energy development, which could provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The loss impacts not only MIT's prominent Plasma Science and Fusion Center, which he recently began directing, but also the broader scientific community working toward fusion energy breakthroughs.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC