Organization · Cambridge, MA
MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
One of MIT's largest labs, mostly DOE-funded, and the parent of Commonwealth Fusion Systems' SPARC tokamak. Nuno Loureiro became director in May 2024 and was shot dead at home in Dec 2025 by a former classmate who also carried out the Brown University shooting. His death seeded the 'fusion suppression' strand of the theory.
On the record
- MIT named Loureiro PSFC director on 1 May 2024.
- MIT: he 'died early this morning from gunshot wounds' (16 Dec 2025).
- DNA and ballistics tied Claudio Neves Valente to both the Brown and MIT shootings.
- Loureiro's grants were NSF and DOE; no AFOSR, DARPA or DoD grant found.
- CFS installed the first of 18 SPARC TF magnets in Jan 2026; first plasma targeted for 2027.
Claims (3)
Loureiro was assassinated over a fusion breakthrough or zero-point energy.speculationSourced, unconfirmed
Iran was behind the killing.speculationSourced, unconfirmed
The killer chose 'symbolic' victims and acted alone.analysisSourced, unconfirmed