Brookline confronts rare fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno Larero

Sam Mintz, editor of brookline.news, and Jessica Smizer, executive director of Brookline Interactive Group, discussed the fatal shooting of MIT professor Nuno Larero and its aftermath in Brookline.

Mintz said he first learned of the shooting on Monday, Dec. 15, when police told him there had been a shooting on Gibbs Street north of Coolidge Corner; the person was later taken to the hospital and died the next day. "It was a strange couple of days," Mintz said, describing an information vacuum while local reporters sought confirmed details.

Smizer said the event was "an unusual, rare story in Brookline" that drew national attention and required coordination among Brookline Police, the state police and federal authorities. She noted the FBI later said there was no relationship between the Brookline incident and a separate mass shooting at Brown University, a statement that regional reporters covered as agencies coordinated across state lines.

Both hosts emphasized that no official motive had been released. Mintz cautioned that while some community members speculated about motive'including religion or scientific work'"there's been no motive officially named," and the available reporting suggested a personal relationship may be involved.

The pair discussed local impacts: Smizer described how Brookline Public Schools and community groups brought in counselors to support students at the Ridley School and others affected by the loss. Mintz noted a GoFundMe set up for the family had raised nearly $400,000, which local reporting linked in its coverage.

The podcast said reporting about the incident is ongoing; Sam Mintz said he is continuing to seek comment from Brookline Police and other local officials about how the investigation and interagency communications proceeded.

The hosts urged listeners to follow local coverage for updates and linked the fundraiser and continuing reporting on brookline.news.