A former student armed with a semi-automatic pistol and wearing an armored vest killed two teachers and a student and wounded 13 others on Friday after breaking into two schools in southeastern Brazil, local authorities said.
The shootings occurred in a public school with primary and secondary level students, and another private school on the same street in the town of Aracruz (Espirito Santo state), according to the state secretary of Public Security.
The shooter, described as
a 16-year-old boy who had attended public school, was arrested
about four hours after the shooting, Espirito Santo Gov. Renato Casagrande said.
His identity was not revealed, probably because he is a minor.
A rescue team carries the body of a victim after a shooting at a school in Aracruz, Espirito Santo state, Brazil, on November 25, 2022.AFP via Getty Images
Authorities said the attacker used a weapon belonging to his father, a military police officer.
The mass shooting, a form of attack that is not common in Brazil
but has increased in recent years, was recorded by security cameras in schools.
[
The Virginia Walmart killer bought the gun hours before and left a “death note” on his cell phone
]
In addition to the three dead, 13 other people were injured, including nine teachers, said Espirito Santo Public Security Secretary Márcio Celante Celante.
The official explained that the murderer entered the teachers' room after breaking a lock.
Celante said police believe
the suspect acted alone
, based on video footage, but said more investigation is needed to determine the details of the attack, the motive for which could not be established at this time.
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Among the injured are six minors who were still hospitalized on Friday afternoon.
Brazil's president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called the incident
an "absurd tragedy."
“It is with sadness that I was informed about the attacks on the Aracruz schools in Espirito Santo.
My solidarity with the family of the victims of this absurd tragedy," Lula tweeted.
With information from The Associated Press
