BRASILIA: A 25-year-old attacker entered the Good Shepherd Center, a private school in Blumenau, southern Brazil, and killed four children with a hatchet-like weapon on Wednesday morning.
The attacker also wounded four others before turning himself into the police.
The state government source confirmed that the four victims were children. According to Brazilian media reports, the attacker used a weapon resembling a hatchet.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the attack on Twitter, calling it a “monstrosity” and expressing sympathy for the victims’ families. Santa Catarina Governor Jorginho Mello declared three days of mourning in the state.
Violence in schools has witnessed an increase in Brazil in recent years. Last week, a 13-year-old boy killed a teacher in a knife attack at a school in Sao Paulo.
School attacks in Brazil
In November 2022, a 16-year-old shooter killed four people and injured more than 10 others in twin attacks on two schools in Espirito Santo state’s southeastern city of Aracruz. In 2019, two former students shot dead eight people at a high school in Suzano, outside Sao Paulo, before taking their own lives.
The deadliest school shooting in the country occurred in 2011 when a man opened fire at his former elementary school in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Realengo, killing 12 children before killing himself.
The attack on the Good Shepherd Center has sent shockwaves through the country, and authorities are investigating the incident to determine the motive behind the attacker’s actions.
The incident has prompted renewed calls for stricter gun control laws and better security measures in schools across Brazil.
The country has been grappling with a surge in violence in recent years, with record numbers of homicides and violent crimes reported.
The Brazilian government has been criticized for failing to address the issue effectively, with many calling for more resources to be allocated towards law enforcement and social programs to address the root causes of crime.
