Federal investigators say the man responsible for the murder of Mountain Brook native Ella Cook acted with deliberate, long-term intent and showed no remorse for his crimes, underscoring the evil behind the attack.
Cook, 19, was one of two people killed during a December shooting at Brown University that also left nine others injured. Her death sent shockwaves through Alabama, where she was remembered by her church, friends and political organizations as a bright and driven young woman.
According to information released by the U.S. Department of Justice and reported by the Associated Press, authorities recovered an electronic device from a New Hampshire storage unit rented by the Portuguese national shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, after his death. The device contained a series of short video recordings made after the attacks.
In the videos, Neves Valente admitted he had been planning the Brown shooting for an extended period, telling investigators he had prepared for the attack over multiple academic semesters. He did not offer a specific motive for targeting Brown University or for later killing an MIT professor.
Neves Valente also admitted to having no love for the U.S. and claimed that coming here was a mistake, saying “When I say that I have no hatred toward America, I also have no love for it — you can barely see this — I have no love. Actually, I think that coming here, both times I did, was a (…) mistake.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed Neves Valente entered the U.S. through an immigration lottery system that has since been suspended. At the time of the suspension, Noem said of the suspect, “this heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country.”
Investigators said Neves Valente made it clear he felt no remorse, stating that he would not apologize. He admitted his objective was to ensure that he was not the person who ended up suffering the most as a result of the violence.
Authorities said the recordings also show the attack was deliberate, with Neves Valente planning the Brown University shooting for at least six academic semesters.
He confirmed he had been renting the storage unit for approximately three years before it became the location where his body was later found.
For Cook’s family and the Alabama community mourning her loss, the details released by investigators underscore the calculated nature of the violence that ended her life and the chilling mindset behind it.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected]
