On 19 June, another act of violence took place in a Brazilian school. A 21-year-old former student opened fire at the Professora Helena Kolody State School, in Cambé, in northern Paraná, and killed two students. He was detained by a pool cleaner who was nearby and heard the shots. The shooter was found dead in jail on the following day. This year already accumulates the highest number of attacks in schools.
The Attack
The former student used a 38-caliber revolver, purchased in Rolândia, and entered the school with 50 pieces of ammunition and seven magazines. In order to gain access to the unit, he stated that he intended to request his school documents. He then went to the bathroom and, on his way out, started the attack. After injuring at least two young men, he ended up being overpowered.
The Case
According to Londrina Civil Police Chief Fernando Amarantino Ribeiro, the former student said that he was bullied when he attended the school (until 2014) and that he would have planned the attack, in recent months, to take revenge. He alleged that, during the period he studied in college, from 1st to 7th grade, he was bullied by students who were his age at the time, 15 years old. His goal today was to attack young people in that age group.
Also, according to Ribeiro, the shooter claimed to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and to undergo follow-up at the Health Secretariat of Rolândia (PR), another neighboring city, where he lived.
Survey
A survey carried out by the Sou da Paz Institute points out that 2023, in six months, already records the highest number of attacks in Brazilian schools at least since 2002. Since then, 25 have been registered, 7 of which this year alone. The previous record was achieved last year, with six cases. Before that, in 2019, there were three attacks inside educational institutions. The cases seem to be intensifying each year.
Other Types of Violence
The board of a kindergarten in downtown São Paulo filed a threat report after the area around the unit was spray-painted with racist attacks and phrases. On 10 June, poles around Municipal School Monteiro Lobato were painted with messages aggressive racist messages and drawings which made reference to activities carried out inside the unit.
Safe School Operation
Justice Minister continues with the Safe School operation, a partnership between the Ministry of Justice, the Federal Police and 27 police stations specialized in cybercrimes. Since 5 April, 368 young people have been arrested or apprehended, in the case of teenagers, for threatening or plotting attacks on schools via social media, whether in groups or individually.
Source: Valor; Instituto Sou da Paz; O Globo [1], [2]; Folha de SP.
