Brazil Teen Student Opens Fire at School, Killing 1, Injuring 2 Others

In a heartbreaking incident, a teenager opened fire at a high school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, early Monday, resulting in the loss of one student's life and leaving two others wounded, according to authorities, AP reports.

The assailant, identified by Folha de S.Paulo newspaper, was a male Brazil teen, a student at the high school who had reportedly been a frequent victim of bullying.

Tragically, the 17-year-old girl who lost her life was shot in the head during the ordeal.

While details about the suspected shooter were not immediately released, the Sao Paulo state government confirmed that police had taken the individual into custody.

In the chaos that ensued, two more students were injured, and another suffered harm while attempting to escape. All three were promptly transported to a hospital for treatment.

In a statement, the Sao Paulo state government underscored the immediate focus on aiding the victims and providing psychological support to the students, teachers, and their families.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the veteran leftist leader and an outspoken critic of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's policies that loosened gun control laws, publicly denounced the recent school shooting, using the platform X (formerly Twitter) to convey his message.

Lula emphasized the need to reject the idea that it is normal for children to have access to firearms and that tragic incidents like the school shooting should not become recurring events, The Straits Times noted.

Reports said that the Brazil teen had used a firearm belonging to his father, shedding light on the concerning issue of gun access in such incidents.

Brazil School Shooting Is Not Uncommon

This incident marks Brazil's first school attack in months, following a troubling trend earlier this year when nearly two dozen violent episodes occurred in Brazilian schools since 2000, with half of them transpiring within the last 18 months.

A 71-year-old teacher lost her life, and four students were injured in March after a 13-year-old student stabbed them at a school to the west of the city.

Moreover, a man wielding a hatchet entered a nursery school in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, in April, killing four children and injuring at least five others, according to WION.

Over the past 22 years, Brazil has experienced 26 severe school violence incidents, resulting in 139 victims, with 46 of them being fatal.

A survey conducted in June by the think tank Sou da Paz revealed that firearms were involved in half of these cases.

Brazil Safe School Platform

Justice and Public Security Minister Flávio Dino confirmed that government officials will collaborate with the São Paulo police in the investigation, per Brazilian Report.

The ministry has received over 30,000 reports of possible school shootings since the launch of the Safe School platform in April, leading to the arrest of more than 400 individuals on suspicion of planning such attacks.

The Safe School platform primarily focuses on monitoring social networks, recognizing that attackers often signal their intentions before carrying out acts of violence.

In this instance, the shooter had reportedly announced his plans to other students a week prior, stating it was because he "didn't like" them.

Experts have suggested a potential link between the rise in school attacks and the online recruitment of young people by far-right groups.

Social media and online platforms are believed to play a role in desensitizing young individuals to extremist ideologies.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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