SAO PAULO, Brazil: A 16-year-old Brazilian boy, upset over having his cell phone taken from him, shot and killed his parents and sister in the family home, police said Wednesday.
The triple murder took place on Friday in Sao Paulo but only came to light on Monday when the boy called police and confessed, the local security ministry said in a statement.
Head of investigations Roberto Afonso said the teenager, who is adopted, was “very frustrated” after his parents took his phone after an argument.
The boy told investigators he grabbed his father’s service weapon, a municipal police officer, and shot him in the back.
He then went upstairs and shot his 16-year-old sister in the face. When his mother returned home hours later, he killed her with the same weapon, police said.
The father was 57 and the mother 50, the police said.
“We have to understand if it was frustration related to some kind of psychological disorder,” Afonso told Brazil’s TV Record.
Police are also investigating whether anyone else was involved, including whether the boy was talking to anyone on the phone, he added.
The youth stayed in the house with the three bodies from Friday until early Monday when he was arrested.
During that time, he went to the gym and shopped at the bakery. On Saturday, still “angry,” he stabbed his mother’s corpse, Afonso said.
The boy, who is being held in a juvenile detention center, acted “coldly” when the crimes were discussed, he said.
Juvenile defendants are protected by special legislation in Brazil and cannot be tried as adults.
