At least three killed, 13 injured in two school shootings in Brazil

Americas, News November 27, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

At least three people have been killed and 13 wounded after a 16-year-old gunman stormed two schools in the town of Aracruz in southeastern Brazil at 10 AM (local time) on Friday.

Brazilian media aired security camera footage showing the gunman in a bulletproof vest, who wore a military-style camouflage outfit with “Nazi symbols”, storming the school with a semi-automatic gun and shooting. The shooter was identified as a former student of the first school.

According to the local authorities, the shooter first attacked a public school, where he was a former student, and fired shots at teachers, killing two and wounding nine people.

The teenage gunman then attacked a private school, located on the same street, where he killed an adolescent girl and injured two people, Brazilian officials said.

The shooter has been identified as a teenage son of a military police officer and the two guns that were used in the attack were registered to his father, one is believed to be a privately registered gun, while the other one was his service firearm.

Public Safety Minister Marcio Celante said during a press conference that based on the security video, police believe the shooter acted alone, however more details will be provided after further investigation.

*^{A 16-year-old shooter attacking a school in the Brazilian town of Aracruz on November 25, 2022. (Image Credit: Twitter/IRIA videograb)}*

The Governor of Brazil’s Espirito Santo state, Renato Casagrande confirmed that “security teams caught up with the attacker who, cowardly, attacked two schools in Aracruz. I declared three days of official mourning as a sign of grief for the irreparable losses. We will continue to investigate the reasons and, soon, we will have new clarifications.”

Casagrande said during a press conference that the teenage shooter “was a student at (the first) school until June, a 16-year-old minor. His family then transferred him to another school.” Casagrande added that “We have information he was undergoing psychiatric treatment.”

The Mayor of Aracruz town, Coutinho was quoted in the newspaper as saying that “It is the biggest tragedy our city has ever seen; the whole city is shocked.” He added that “We are already receiving security reinforcements, classes are suspended until Monday.”

^{Students’ relatives wait at the entrance of the Praia de Coqueiral educational center, one of two schools shot at by a teenager, in Aracruz, Espirito Santo state, Brazil. (Image Credit: Kadija Fernandes/AFP)}

The president-elect of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula also posted on his Twitter that “With sadness I learned of the attack on schools in Aracruz, Espírito Santo. My solidarity with the families of the victims of this absurd tragedy. And my support for the governor Casagrande in the investigation of the case and support for the communities of the two affected schools.”