Brazil: Axe Attack Kills Four Children, Injures Five at Daycare in Blumenau in Wave of School Attacks
A daycare centre was the target of an attack on April 5th in Blumenau, in the Southern state of Santa Catarina, in Brazil. Four children were killed, including three boys and a girl aged between 4 and 7 years old. Five other children were injured.
The attack took place early in the morning at the Cantinho Bom Pastor private Christian daycare centre. The governor of the state, Jorginho Mello, shared on Twitter that a 25 year-old male suspect had been arrested. Mello stated that “May God comfort the hearts of all families in this time of deep sorrow.”
The identity of the man was not leaked by the press or the public, to avoid giving public visibility to the killer.
President Lula also tweeted in support of the victims and their families, writing that “there is no greater pain than that of a family that loses its children or grandchildren, even more so in an act of violence against innocent and defenseless children.” He added that “a tragedy like this is unacceptable, an absurd act of hate and cowardice … an act of violence against innocent and defenceless children.”
Blumenau mayor Mario Hildebrandt also expressed his condolences, and declared a mourning period. The mayor also proposed policies to improve physical security at education centres in the city and improve response times by the Civil Defence.
Those injured were taken to Santo Antônio Hospital. The man turned himself in after the attack. The suspect apparently got into the daycare centre by jumping over a wall, attacking children on the playground and fled away as soon as educators intervened. He was armed with a small axe.
The motive for the attack remains unknown, though police and politicians made hints at issues relating to mental health. The Civil Police already ruled out an ideological or terroristic motive, with no record of participation in political or extremist groups.
According to the Civil Police, the suspect has a criminal record for drug possession and assault. He allegedly stabbed his stepfather in 2021, as well.
The Civil Police has recommended that the suspect be indicted for multiple counts of homicide and attempted murder.
According to Civil Police Deputy General Ulisses Gabriel, the police are still investigating whether there are more involved in the crime. The Police Station for the Repression of Computer Crimes will determine whether the attack was organized online.
The attack took place less than ten days after a school in São Paulo was targeted by a student who stabbed the teacher to death and left three others injured, in addition to a student. A bomb attack was also perpetrated by a former student in São Paulo state on February 13th, as well as a knife attack by a student on his classmates at a Rio de Janeiro school on March 28th.
This is not the first attack against a daycare in Brazil, with 16 daycare attacks having been carried out in the country since 2000. This is the second attack against a daycare in Santa Catarina. In 2021, a man stabbed three children and two adults, killing all.
2022 and 2023 were record-years for school attacks in Brazil, far surpassing those recording in the 20 years preceding.
Physical security measures have been increased by law enforcement authorities at school as a result.
A number of recent school attacks have been established as crimes of passion. Others have been related to violent manifestations of right-wing extremism, radicalized through online chat platforms, with the attacks perpetrated against public educational institutions and racial and sexual minority groups.
According to researchers at Unicamp in São Paulo, the social environment in Brazil, where gun culture and trivilisation of violence, coupled with the festering of extremist social views on internet and political platforms, are increasingly common, may also contribute to these attacks.
Most of the aggressors are males between 10 and 25 years old. Many of them described being bullied and socially isolated at school, also showing signs of mental illness and drug addiction.