São Paulo — Officials said police were overwhelmed after a teenager invaded a day care center in southern Brazil and stabbed and killed three children and two workers on Tuesday.
City Secretary of Education Gisela Hermann described the “horror scene” at a facility in the town of Saudade, Santa Catarina. She told Reuters in a telephone interview that a female teacher and educational assistant were among the dead.
She added that other children are likely to be hospitalized as a result of the attack.
Sylvia Fernandez dos Santos, an employee of the local school board, said the attack took place around 10 am local time. She said the teenager was detained by police after committing suicide.
“He … tried to take his life, but couldn’t. So he was sent to the nearest hospital to transfer. People were very angry and they offered their own justice. I wanted to, “Dos Santos told Reuters on the phone.
Police in the city of Chapecó near Saudade said they were investigating the case, but could not provide immediate information. The State of Santa Catarina’s Public Security Bureau did not respond to requests for comment.
Leonard Benassat