Heartbreak in Brazil: 13-year-old stabs teacher, five others at Sao Paulo school

A 13-year-old student fatally stabbed his teacher and wounded five others at a public school in Brazil on Monday morning, authorities said. 

The teenager entered a classroom at the Thomazia Montoro public school in Sao Paulo wearing a skull mask at around 7:20 a.m. local time. The student fatally stabbed his 71-year-old teacher from behind and hit her in the head and back. 

Three other teachers and two students were also wounded during the attack. The victims that survived the incident were taken to the hospital, where they remain in stable condition. 

The 13-year-old was detained by the police soon after the attack and taken to the police station for interrogation. The state’s military police are investigating the incident. 

“Our efforts are concentrated on helping the wounded and comforting the family members,” Sao Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas wrote on social media, adding that he had no words to express his sadness. 

According to a fellow classmate at the school, the suspect had insulted another student at the school last week, calling him a “rat” and prompting a fight between the two. The teacher that was fatally stabbed tried to settle the conflict between the two students.  

Authorities said in a press release that the student had recently transferred schools and had searched for ways to obtain a firearm on the internet.