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13-Year-Old Shoots Two Employees at Brazilian School

From Die Presse · (7m ago) German Critical tone

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A 13-year-old boy fatally shot two school employees and injured two others at a school in Rio Branco, Brazil.
  • The incident occurred at the Instituto São José middle school, and the perpetrator, a student, was apprehended by authorities.
  • The attack has prompted a three-day suspension of classes across Acre state and the mobilization of psychological support teams.

Tragedy struck a school in Rio Branco, the capital of Brazil's northwestern state of Acre, when a 13-year-old student opened fire, killing two employees and injuring two others. The shooting at the Instituto São José middle school has sent shockwaves through the community and highlighted a disturbing trend of increasing violence in Brazilian educational institutions.

The wall is six meters high, and only one person managed to jump over it and seek refuge here in the hotel.

— Eduardo Rodrigues CavalcanteA witness describing students' attempts to escape the school.

The alleged assailant, armed with a pistol belonging to his stepfather, was quickly arrested by police. Authorities are also investigating the possibility of accomplices among the student body. Images circulating from the scene depicted the chaos and distress, with students attempting to flee the violence, some scaling a six-meter-high wall to seek refuge.

The others were left on the school roof while trying to flee.

— Eduardo Rodrigues CavalcanteA witness describing students' attempts to escape the school.

In response to the horrific event, the Acre state government has declared a three-day suspension of classes across all schools. Psychological support teams have been deployed to assist students and teachers grappling with the trauma. This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on schools in Brazil, underscoring a growing national concern over the safety and security of educational environments. The government has extended its condolences to the victims and their families, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support in the wake of this tragedy.

I heard gunshots and a lot of screaming.

— Eduardo Rodrigues CavalcanteA witness describing the sounds during the attack.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.