SouthernWorldwide.com – A tragic incident unfolded at a public school in Acre state, northern Brazil, on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of two women and injuries to two others, including a minor. Authorities confirmed that a 13-year-old student has admitted to carrying out the attack at the Instituto Sao Jose in Rio Branco, the state capital.
The two individuals who lost their lives were female staff members and were pronounced dead at the scene. Additionally, another staff member and an 11-year-old female student sustained gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital. The injured student was reportedly shot in the leg.
The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed by officials. Police reported that the suspect, who is a minor, was apprehended and used a firearm registered to a legal guardian. Local media outlets have suggested that the weapon belonged to the teenager’s stepfather, who has also been taken into custody.
Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Russo of the Acre military police department stated that the suspect discharged several shots in a hallway leading towards the principal’s office. The individual surrendered to law enforcement following the incident.
Witness accounts described scenes of panic and terror. Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, a 19-year-old hotel receptionist situated next to the school, recounted seeing students attempting to scale a six-meter-high wall to escape. He noted that only one person successfully made it over to the hotel, while others sought refuge on the school’s roof.
Cavalcante also reported hearing “gunshots and a lot of screaming” during the event. Images circulating from local media depicted emergency personnel attending to a woman being moved on a stretcher, as well as emotional scenes outside the school grounds, with individuals seen crying and embracing.
In response to the tragedy, Acre Governor Mailza Assis issued a statement expressing deep solidarity with the families of the victims, the school community of Instituto Sao Jose, and all educational professionals impacted by the incident.
As a precautionary measure, authorities announced the suspension of classes for three days across all schools in the state. Mobile psychological support teams have been deployed to provide assistance to students and teachers affected by the violence.
Brazil has unfortunately experienced a notable rise in attacks targeting educational institutions in recent years, highlighting a growing concern for school safety in the country.
This incident follows a series of similar violent events. In September 2025, a school in the northeastern state of Ceara was the site of a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers and injuries to three others.
Further back, in October 2023, a school shooting in Sao Paulo claimed the life of a 17-year-old student and left three others wounded. The same year also saw a fatal knife attack outside a school in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, where a teenager was killed and three others were injured.
A particularly horrific event occurred in April 2023 in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, when a 25-year-old man attacked a daycare center, resulting in the deaths of four children aged between 3 and 7 years old. The assailant used an axe in this attack.
In 2022, a former student carried out attacks at two schools in Brazil, using a semiautomatic pistol and a revolver. This resulted in four fatalities and 12 injuries. Investigations revealed that the suspect was wearing a swastika on his vest and had been planning the attacks for a considerable period, approximately two years.
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This report was contributed to by Agence France-Presse.
