Police report shooting at two schools in Espirito Santo
2022.11.25 13:16
Police report shooting at two schools in Espirito Santo
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – According to reports from the local police, on Friday, a gunman opened fire on two schools in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, wounding at least eight people and killing three.
Around 10 a.m. local time (1300 GMT), the attacks occurred in the small town of Aracruz, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the state capital of Vitoria.
Officials say that an unidentified teen wearing military gear opened fire on two schools—one public and one private—and was still missing early in the afternoon.
Reporters were informed by Marcio Celante, Espirito Santo’s head of public security, that the initial suspicion that the shooter was a student at one of the attacked schools had not been proven correct.
The public security office said in a statement that while the search for the shooter continued, injured people were being treated by police and rescue workers.
One injured person had to be taken to Serra, a larger city 60 km south of Aracruz, by helicopter.
The governor of Espirito Santo, Renato Casagrande, expressed his sympathy to the victims’ families and said that all of the local security agencies were looking into the incident.
The new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, referred to it as an “absurd tragedy.”
“I extend my support to Governor Casagrande in investigating the case and comforting the communities surrounding the two affected schools,” stated Lula, who will take over for President Jair Bolsonaro on January 1.