Photo: Alamy
The U.S. Department of Education said it will conduct a federal program review of Brown University following a Dec. 13 shooting on campus that left two students dead.
The review will be carried out by the department’s Office of Federal Student Aid. It will examine whether the university complied with federal campus safety requirements for student aid eligibility.
In announcing the review, the department cited concerns raised in public reporting and by members of the Brown community in the hours after the shooting. Those concerns include questions about the effectiveness of campus surveillance systems and the timing of emergency notifications sent to students and staff.
Reports indicated the suspect fled as the university struggled to provide clear information, and some students and employees said alerts about an active shooter were delayed.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the review is intended to determine whether Brown met its obligations under federal law to maintain campus security and provide timely safety information.
Universities that receive federal funding are required to maintain effective safety systems and be prepared to assist law enforcement during emergencies, McMahon said.
As part of the review, the Department of Education has requested records related to campus crime statistics, security reports, emergency notifications, police activity logs and internal safety and response policies. The request also seeks documentation detailing how the university tracks crime, issues alerts, responds to emergencies, and coordinates with state and local law enforcement agencies.
Brown has been given until Jan. 30, 2026, to submit the requested materials. The department has the authority to impose penalties or require corrective action if violations are found, including fines or mandated changes to campus safety policies.
Additional reporting on the case indicates the suspected shooter had been seen multiple times around campus acting suspiciously before the attack. A campus custodian has said he reported the behavior to Brown security guards.
The suspected gunman, Claudio Neves Valente, was a graduate student at Brown in the early 2000s. Authorities allege he opened fire inside a campus lecture hall, killing two students.
Two days later, he allegedly shot and killed MIT professor Nuno Loureiro at the professor’s home about 50 miles away. Valente was found dead Thursday night from a gunshot wound. His death was ruled a suicide.
