SALEM, N.H. — Law enforcement sources say investigators are examining a storage unit registered in the name of a suspect at the same Extra Space Storage facility where an abandoned vehicle connected to the investigation was located. Authorities have not entered the unit, and it remains unclear whether it contains evidence related to the case.
Surveillance video reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the individual entering the storage complex; however, officials have not confirmed whether the person exited the property.
The individual is being sought in connection with the Brown University shooting and the killing of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro.
According to officials briefed on the investigation, the vehicle believed to be associated with the person of interest was observed using multiple sets of license plates in different locations, a tactic investigators believe was intended to evade detection.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are conducting an active search in the area near the border of Salem, New Hampshire, and Methuen, Massachusetts.
In a social media advisory, Methuen police said officers are assisting in an investigation related to a “recent death” and urged the public to remain alert.
“If you observe any individuals on foot who appear out of place, unfamiliar to the area, or behaving in a manner that seems unusual or suspicious, please report it immediately,” Methuen police stated. Authorities emphasized that there is no known threat to the public or residents at this time.
Investigators say coordination between agencies intensified after detectives working the Brown University shooting recognized similarities with information released in the MIT professor homicide.
A law enforcement official said the vehicle sought in both cases was the same make and model, though it was displaying different license plates.
A witness-provided plate number in the Brown University case led investigators to trace the vehicle’s history, ultimately linking it to the car of interest in the Brookline homicide.
Using license plate reader technology, authorities were able to locate the vehicle in Salem, New Hampshire, prompting a significant law enforcement presence in the surrounding area, according to officials familiar with the operation.
Investigators believe the person of interest employed multiple countermeasures to avoid identification, including switching license plates across jurisdictions and taking steps to limit exposure to surveillance cameras and facial recognition systems.
One official said these actions suggest a degree of planning.
Authorities noted that the tactics bear similarities to past high-profile manhunts in which suspects attempted to conceal their identities while evading capture.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not announced any arrests or filed charges.
About the Author
