Sequoia Partner Spreads Debunked Brown Shooting Theory, Testing New Leadership

Sequoia Partner Spreads Debunked Brown Shooting Theory, Testing New Leadership

Sequoia Partner Spreads Debunked Brown Shooting Theory, Testing New Leadership In the wake of the December 13 mass shooting at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor, authorities quickly identified the perpetrator: 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national later found dead in New Hampshire. Yet, days later, Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire falsely claimed a Palestinian student was responsible—sparking outrage, raising concerns about online disinformation, and putting pressure on Sequoia’s newly appointed leadership to act. Credit: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe / Getty Images Maguire’s since-deleted posts on X asserted it “seems very likely” the unnamed student was the shooter, citing Brown’s removal of his online profiles as “suspicious.” In reality, the university scrubbed the student’s digital presence to shield him from online harassment and dangerous speculation. Law enforcement confirmed Valente acted alone, with no connection to the student…