A horrifying event took place at a daycare center, when a hatchet-wielding man entered the premises and claimed the lives of four young children.
The brutal attack occurred on Wednesday, April 5, at Cantinho do Bom Pastor, in Blumenau, Southern Brazil, and left parents in a state of grief and despair outside the private daycare facility. The incident has prompted widespread shock across the nation, leading to calls for the government to take action against the increasing violence.
The attacker managed to enter the daycare center by climbing over a wall and later turned himself in at a nearby police station. Authorities have found no apparent link between the assailant and the daycare facility.
Four children, aged between five and seven, were killed in the attack, while several others sustained injuries. An investigation is currently underway to uncover the motive behind the brutal incident. In response, the Ministers of Justice and Education have committed to investing in new measures to prevent such acts of violence from occurring.
Valeria Aparecida Camilo, a working mother with a five-year-old daughter enrolled at the facility, learned of the devastating news while at work. She quickly contacted her husband, Gustavo, who hurried to the school and found their daughter alive.
Ulisses Gabriel, the Chief of Civil Police, revealed that the attacker was a 25-year-old man from the neighboring state of Parana. Gabriel added that the police consider this attack to be an isolated event, unconnected to other criminal activities.
Tragically, Brazil has seen an increase in school-related attacks in recent years. Just a week prior to this incident, a student in Sao Paulo fatally stabbed a teacher and wounded several others. In May 2021, another daycare center in Santa Catarina state witnessed a similar tragedy when a man entered the facility and used a dagger to kill three children and two adults.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shared his heartfelt condolences in a Twitter post, acknowledging the unspeakable suffering experienced by families who lose their children or grandchildren.
