Brazil: School Shooting Leaves 3 Dead, 13 Injured in Espirito Santo

A Brazil school shooting incident in the state of Espirito Santo shocked the entire nation Friday. Three were killed while 13 others were injured. The suspect was a former student armed with a semiautomatic pistol and wearing a bulletproof vest.

It happened in two schools that were just across the street from one another. They were located in the small town of Aracruz, with the first school being a public school with elementary and middle students, and the second school being a private school.

Three Fatalities in Brazil School Shooting Identified

According to DW, the shooter, 16, arrived at the public school first and shot at teachers. He killed two female teachers in his rampage in the first school.

He then made his way across the street to the private school. He started shooting again and managed to kill one female student.

Espirito Santo Governor Renato Casagrande then held a press conference, identifying the shooter as a "16-year-old boy who used to study at the public school." However, as he is still a minor, they did not release the shooter's name. The governor also noted that the weapon the shooter used belonged to his father, who is an officer of the military police.

Governor Casagrande also added that they received information that the shooting suspect is undergoing psychiatric treatment. As he went on his shooting rampage, he covered his face, and the governor admitted that this made it difficult to identify him. So far, police are still searching for the shooter, and no report has come in that he was captured.

Espirito Santo public security secretary Marcio Celante also spoke at the press conference via video. He confirmed that around 13 others were wounded, including nine teachers. Six of those wounded are still in the hospital, including two children.

According to the Associated Press, the suspect was able to gain access to the public school by breaking the padlock. He then went to the teacher's lounge where he started his rampage.

In Brazil, school shootings are considered uncommon, unlike in the United States. However, it has been reported that they are happening more frequently in recent years.

Brazil President-Elect Lula Reacts to School Shooting

The incident has made many in Brazil speechless, as school shootings do not tend to happen in the country. This Brazil school shooting has even caught the attention of President-Elect Lula, who called the incident an "absurd tragedy."

Lula expressed his solidarity with those affected by the Aracruz school shootings on social media and expressed his support for Governor Casagrande's efforts to deal with the situation, including investigating the case and "comforting the communities surrounding the two affected schools."

According to CNN, Brazilian minister Victor Godoy also expressed his condolences and sympathies to those who were affected by the school shooting. He also condemned the violence which happened in the school.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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