A teenager attacks children in a school in Brazil, killing a 9-year-old

The flag of Brazil flutters in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Carl de Souza/Pool Photo via AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO — A 16-year-old attacked children in a school in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul on Tuesday, killing a 9-year-old boy, authorities said. The attacker was arrested shortly after.

Another child and a teacher were also injured in the attack in the Estacao municipality, police said in a statement. The teen used a knife, according to local news outlet G1.

The motive was not immediately clear and an investigation was underway, police said. The teen had no criminal record and police did not release his identity or other details.

Estacao Mayor Geverson Zimmermann told local radio Uirapuru that the 16-year-old was known by teachers and that he was undergoing psychological treatment.

Teachers let him in after he said he was dropping off a resume, Zimmermann said. “The boy was stabbed several times in the thorax region and he ended up not surviving.”

Estacao’s town hall said that following the attack, classes were suspended across the area for an undetermined period.

“What happened cannot be normalized, downplayed, or forgotten,” Gov. Eduardo Leite said on X, adding that he would strengthen strategies for protection and care in schools.

School attacks in Brazil have happened with greater frequency in recent years.

In 2023, four children were killed after a man with a hatchet burst into a day care centre in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina.

The Associated Press