From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) rCo Information from a tipster who had a strange encounter with another man on a sidewalk outside Brown University was
key to police identifying the suspect they believe killed two students
at the school and then two days later gunned down a Massachusetts
Institute of Technology professor.

Known only as rCLJohnrCY in a Providence police affidavit, the source is
being hailed by investigators as the key figure who gave law enforcement
the details needed to determine who was behind the Brown shooting, as
well as the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor
who was shot in his Brookline home Monday.

Ever since a shooter unloaded more than 40 rounds inside a Brown
engineering building, anxiety and frustration has plagued the
Providence, Rhode Island, community as police appeared no closer to
identifying the person.

Yet on the sixth day of the investigation, the case gathered steam,
ending with police announcing late Thursday they had found the suspected
gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The tipster, John, was the reason why.

rCLHe blew this case right open,rCY said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha of the information provided by the individual that resulted in
finding the gunman nearly 24 hours later.

rCLWhen you crack it, you crack it,rCY he said.

According to police, John had several encounters with 48-year-old
Claudio Neves Valente before SaturdayrCOs attack. As police posted images
of a person of interest rCo now identified as Neves Valente rCo John began posting on the social media forum Reddit that he recognized the person
and theorized that police should look into rCLpossibly a rentalrCY grey
Nissan. Reddit users urged him to tell the FBI, and John said he did.
The police affidavit said they learned about the tip on Dec. 16, three
days after the shooting and a day after the tip line was created.


Up until that point, the police affidavit says officials had not
connected a vehicle to the possible shooter.

That detail led them to get more video of a Nissan Sentra sedan with
Florida plates and enabled Providence police officers to tap into a
network of more than 70 street cameras operated around the city by
surveillance company Flock Safety.

The affidavit says John gave investigators additional critical details:
he encountered Neves Valente in the bathroom of the engineering building
just hours before the attack, where John noted the suspectrCOs clothing
was rCLinappropriate and inadequate for the weather.rCY

John also bumped into Neves Valente outside, mere blocks from the
building, where John watched Neves Valente rCLsuddenlyrCY turn around from
the Nissan when he saw John. What ensued was then a rCLgame of cat and mouse,rCY according to JohnrCOs testimony rCo where the two would encounter each other and Neves Valente would run away.

At one point, John says he yelled out rCLYour car is back there, why are
you circling the block?rCY

rCLThe Suspect responded, rCyI donrCOt know you from nobody,rCO then Suspect repeatedly asked, rCOWhy are you harassing me?rCOrCY according to the affidavit.

John told police he eventually saw Neves Valente approach the Nissan
sedan once more and decided to walk away.

rCLRespectfully, I have said all I have to say on the matter to the right people,rCY John wrote on Reddit Wednesday night.

As of Thursday, itrCOs unknown whether John will receive the $50,000
reward the FBI had offered for information about the Brown shooting.

Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI, said it was possible when
asked by reporters.

rCLIt would be logical to think that, absolutely, that individual would be entitled to that,rCY he said.

https://apnews.com/article/brown-shooting-university-witness-tipster-e114 eb38248e2023dcdf92a29e6c6b30

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