‘Revolver, crossbow, Molotovs’: At least 10 dead in school shooting in Brazil’s Sao Paulo

The deadly incident occurred on in the city of Suzano located in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

The Military Police confirmed on Twitter that 10 people were dead and 10 others injured after the shooting. It did not elaborate on how many children died during the incident or whether the attackers were included in the figure. The tweet, however, has later been deleted.

The attack was carried out by two “armed and hooded” teenagers, according to police. Local media reported that they turned their weapons on themselves after killing  several students and at least one adult. 23 other people were injured.

A .38 revolver, a crossbow with arrows, as well as several Molotov cocktails and a “wired suitcase” were found by police at the scene. One of the attackers was armed with a firearm, while another wielded a knife, local media reported, citing eyewitnesses.

Chegamos agora na escola Raul Brasil, aqui em Suzano. Cenário desolador. Solicitei apoio imediato a todas as vítimas e familiares. Muito triste! pic.twitter.com/Xi34KqlPN7

— João Doria (@jdoriajr) March 13, 2019

The assailants reportedly were former students of the school, yet the motive of the attack remains unclear.

Governor of Sao Paulo, Joao Doria, condemned the “cruel murder” of the children. The official arrived at the shooting scene shortly after the incident.

Adolescentes abrem fogo em escola, matam 7 e se suicidam em São Paulo https://t.co/RjuXHsV9AX pic.twitter.com/6ugjqodp2O

— Cachoeira do Sul-RS (@CachoeiradoSul) March 13, 2019

Another shooting occurred shortly before the massacre in the vicinity of the school, when a person was injured during an apparent robbery attempt. It was not immediately clear whether the two incidents were linked.

Despite strict weapon laws, gun crime is rampant in Brazil, yet school shootings are a rare occurrence. The last major incident of this type occurred back in 2011, when 12 schoolchildren were shot dead in Rio de Janeiro by a former student.

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