At least 3 people killed and 11 others injured in Brazil school shootings as students react to horror.
— At least three people were killed and 11 others injured in attacks in Brazil during morning classes, as students reacted to yet another mass shooting in the country.
The shootings took place at two different schools Friday morning, in the state of Espirito Santo, located on the country’s northeastern coast. The students had just finished prayers and classes for the day, and were walking outside during the shootings.
A video posted on social media shows students fleeing the school with their hands up.
“They killed our friends,” a girl is heard to say in the video.
The Brazilian president has ordered police forces to strengthen security in schools and warned of more attacks. “We will take action,” he said Friday. “We will have to respond, we will retaliate against the criminals.”
The students were attacked as they walked through the school property to get to class.
Two of the victims were killed on the school property, while the third victim was found dead at a nearby house, according to police.
The two schools in the area were shut down after the shootings, but were back in operation Friday morning.
At least six officers and one civilian worker were taken into custody, the Espirito Santo state police said in a statement. The alleged attacker was a 19-year-old student.
The police chief said the suspect was a “professional at weapons and explosives” who had traveled to Brazil for training, according to the state police.
“This is not by accident. This is organized and this is planned,” President Jair Bolsonaro said during a speech.
“The terrorist is an individual who planned this, he wanted to instill fear, he wanted to instill panic and terror among the people. He did the same thing in the past, he tried to do it in the city of Recife, he tried to do it in the city of Salvador, he tried to do it in the city of Fortaleza, and he succeeded.”
Bolsonaro also said the attacker had gone to a military school, and had carried out a similar shooting in a military school in January, which left one student dead and four others injured
