MIT professor shot at his Massachusetts home dies
Possible connection to the Brown University shooting
- Several commenters note the temporal and geographic proximity: two shootings at elite universities ~40 miles apart within a week, both involving academics and guns, and see this as at least suggestive.
- Others strongly disagree, stressing:
- Different states and “different worlds” socially (Brookline vs Providence).
- Very different scenarios: a single victim in a home/foyer vs a classroom-style mass shooting targeting students.
- Law enforcement statements reported in the press say there is currently “nothing to suggest” a connection; some interpret this as “they are unrelated,” others argue it simply reflects limited evidence so far.
- There is debate over the reliability of unnamed law-enforcement sources and whether journalists damage trust by quoting them without attribution.
Speculation on motive in the MIT killing
- Hypotheses floated include:
- Random or opportunistic home invasion / robbery gone wrong, with some arguing 8:30pm is an odd time for that, others saying criminals are not strategic.
- A targeted killing tied to the victim’s personal life (jealousy, domestic dispute), a disgruntled grad student, or a rare “professional hit” (inferred from multiple shots).
- A connection to his fusion / plasma work, or even foreign-state revenge, though commenters acknowledge a lack of evidence.
- Brookline is repeatedly described as extremely safe with few murders, which some argue increases the likelihood of a targeted rather than random crime.
- Others emphasize that most homicides are committed by someone the victim knows and that “burglary turned homicide” is statistically rare, though not unheard of.
Debate over political / antisemitic motive
- One commenter argues US media are downplaying that the victim was Jewish and pro‑Israel, implying this could be motive.
- Multiple others push back:
- Calling it irresponsible to infer a hate crime from ethnicity alone.
- Noting that many similar academics exist without being targeted and that no evidence has emerged linking his views to the attack.
- Arguing that responsible outlets generally avoid motive claims until there is supporting evidence.
Meta and tone concerns
- Some participants criticize the heavy speculation and flippant theories as insensitive in a thread about a recent murder whose family and colleagues might read the discussion.