Brown University student falsely accused of being responsible for fatal shooting plots possible next move after death threats, Mayor-elect of New York City says

A man falsely accused on social media of being the suspect of a fatal college shooting in Providence, RI earlier this month is deciding his next move.

Mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, announced on social media Tuesday night that he had spoken to Mustapha Kharbouch, the man targeted by some as the man responsible for the shooting deaths of Ella Cook and Mukhammed Aziz Umurzokov on December 13th at Brown University.

“Last week, online conspiracy theorists wrongfully blamed Mustapha Kharbouch, a young Palestinian student at Brown University, for the horrific shooting in early December because of a photo of him wearing a Keffiyeh. In the days since, Kharbouch has faced death threats and unimaginable Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Today, I had the privilege of speaking with Mustapha. I learned about his life as a bright-eyed scholar interested in international relations and Anthropology. He shared stories about his summer living in Sunnyside while he pursued an internship. He is considering a PhD and thinks about moving back to New York City one day if he can afford it. And I learned about his Palestinian heritage, the very heritage he was doxxed for. I told Mustapha that we would love to have him back in New York City, where — as Mayor — I will make it my job to cherish, protect, and celebrate all New Yorkers and combat Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism at every corner.”

A former Brown University student, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, was determined to be the individual responsible. Law enforcement tracked Neves Valente to a Salem, New Hampshire storage unit. After obtaining a federal search warrant for the unit, authorities entered and found Neves Valente deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound that took place before authorities arrived.

Brown University issued a statement after Kharbouch’s profile at the school had been removed to protect him after social media speculation.

“In the aftermath of the shooting, we have seen harmful doxxing activity directed toward several students, faculty and staff, and multiple offices have been committed to providing support, while we also have worked aggressively to combat disinformation in online media and activity that has gone as far as to threaten individuals in our community. The safety of our community is and continues to be our top priority.”