Gunned man kills 13 students in a school in Rio

[ivoyared]

A sick son of a bitch killed 13 students in a school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Brazilian gunman fatally shot 11 children at a Rio de Janeiro school before killing himself, police said on Thursday, shocking the South American nation that has never seen such an incident before.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff wept when commenting on the incident during a speech to business leaders and requested a moment of silence for the victims.

"This type of crime is not characteristic of (our) country and therefore we are all ... united in repudiating this act of violence," Rousseff said.

The attack by the 24-year-old Welington de Oliveira is Brazil's first serial shooting at a school in Brazil, which has never had an attack similar to incidents in the United States, including the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1999 Columbine high school shooting in Colorado.

"We have to show solidarity and support for the families of the children (killed by) that psychopath, that animal," said Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral in a press conference at the school in the Rio neighborhood of Realengo.

Oliveira was a former student at the school but his motive was not clear. Police said he did not have a criminal record.

Rio de Janeiro military police said Oliveira entered the school carrying two guns and a suicide note. He told officials he was there to deliver a speech and then opened fire on students. Eighteen people were wounded, several of them seriously.

Several of the 13 wounded children fleeing to the street called a police patrol, which rushed to the school and exchanged gunfire before Oliveira killed himself.

Violence in Rio traditionally has been associated with drug gangs that control vast areas of the city's slum communities. Rio's government has in recent months made considerable advances against narco-trafficking but crime remains a problem in the beachside tourist haven.

Crime experts say contraband firearms from police and the army often end up in the hands of criminals.

Authorities have stepped up slum pacification efforts that have created a permanent police presence in poor neighborhoods in hopes of tightening security in advance of the 2014 World Cup soccer championship and the 2016 Olympic Games.

Reuters

I have never, ever, seen something like this here in Brazil. Never. A psycho shooting against inocent children. Who the heck would do that? And why children?

 

[DK]

A sick son of a bitch killed 13 students in a school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.



I have never, ever, seen something like this here in Brazil. Never. A psycho shooting against inocent children. Who the heck would do that? And why children?

I think you just answered your own question.

 

[Danoff]

I don't understand why people think this is not "characteristic" of a given country or is "characteristic" of some other country. Human beings will do this anywhere.

 

[AMCNUT]

First off my condolences to the victims, but I agree with what's been said above; violence definitely isn't regional. But until police get a motive and do some further investigating I'm reluctant to draw my own conclusions...

 

[Liquid]

It's a terrible tragedy of course, but it's incorrect to label this as being a North American issue in the past. Here in the UK, the Dunblane Primary School massacre of 1996 is still remembered and there are great feelings of sorrow and sympathy about it. Not only with firearms, the case of Stephen Lawrence was also a national tragedy. There have also been numerous cases in Germany over the last 25 years too.

These are all regretable of course, but it's worth mentioning them as they shouldn't be forgotten and it's wrong to assume this only happens in one part of the world.

And at the same time, let's hope Brazil can recover from this and learn.

 

[ivoyared]

Sorry, I'll change the thread title.

 

[Liquid]

Mmm, no motive, no criminal record, came with a suicide note. Maybe he was mentally unstable but the threshold to normality meant he had gone undiagnosed.

 

[Dapper]

Sorry, I'll change the thread title.

About 5 out of every 6 school shootings happen in North America. There's nothing to be sorry about. 👍
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html

 

[Dan_]

Watching the news right now, he's fanatic for his religion... which may or may not have something to do with the happenings.

All in all, a psycho.

 

[ivoyared]

Watching the news right now, he's fanatic for his religion... which may or may not have something to do with the happenings.

All in all, a psycho.

He wasn't religious. He had mental problems.

 

[Dan_]

Yeah, just read the letter he left....

 

[nk4e]

Language, but man...thats crazy.

 

[Joker-GTBR]

A newspaper cover had "he shooted to kill the girls and scare the boys". Also his testament is very confuse.

 

[AOS-]

Is it too much if I said "Grand Theft Auto IRL"?

Trivia:"Gunned Man" means that man was gunned down. He was gunning children, not himself. "Gunman" would be most correct.

 

[Zmann42087]

Trivia:"Gunned Man" means that man was gunned down. He was gunning children, not himself. "Gunman" would be most correct.

well, he did kill himself in the end..