Brazilian man takes 13 children hostage in kindergarten
The hostages were children of four to five years old, writes Folha de S.Paulo. The negotiations lasted about three hours, but the police decided to intervene when the man began to use violence against them. Five children were sent for examination
In the Brazilian city of Curitiba, police killed a man who for several hours held hostage 13 children in a kindergarten, threatening them with a knife and arson. All children were released, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The incident occurred on October 9 at the municipal center of preschool education CMEI São Braz in the district of San Bras. Paran State Police spokesman Leticia Martins said the man climbed over the fence, entered the classroom and captured children and staff there.
According to Folha de S.Paulo, the hostages were children of four or five years. The attacker had a knife, a dummy firearm and combustible liquid that he spilled on the floor, threatening to set fire. According to the publication, the seizure occurred around 15:00 local time. The police negotiated with the man for about three hours.
The commander of the special police unit, Alexandre Lopez Diaz, told Folha that the security forces decided to intervene after the man began using violence against children. “When we noticed that the children were experiencing increasing stress and he started beating them, we decided to conduct a tactical penetration to prevent more serious consequences,” Diaz said. He also told the AP that the attacker suffered from schizophrenia.
According to Folha, at about 18:00 police entered the premises. When the man tried to capture one of the children, he was killed. Five children were sent for medical examination. According to Folha, one child has a facial injury. The AP, citing local authorities, reported that none of the children were injured.
In March 2024, an armed man took 17 people hostage in a bus station in Rio de Janeiro. After about three hours of negotiations, he surrendered to police. Two people were injured, including one gunshot. In November 2019, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, a local man captured seven people in a bar. He had a firearm and an incendiary bottle. Subsequently, the attacker released some of the hostages, including the 64-year-old owner of the institution.
