On October 18, 2024, four lives were lost in a fatal shooting at the Dom Pedro I Municipal School in Heliópolis, Brazil.
The attacker, identified as 14-year-old student Samuel Andrade, targeted his peers, killing three 15-year-old classmates – Jonathan dos Santos, Fernanda Gama, and Adriele Ferreira – before turning the gun on himself, as reported by the Bahia Civil Police.
The terrifying incident took place in the middle of the school day while students were in their classrooms.
Based on police accounts, Andrade was seated at his desk and suddenly stood up, firing rounds from a .38-caliber revolver at his classmates. Although a teacher and nine other students present in the room were not physically injured, they were left severely shaken by the horrifying event.
Investigators are currently probing to understand the motive behind the shooting and how Andrade was able to procure the firearm.
Thiago Cunha, the police chief, stated on Saturday, “The father’s statement was very brief and did not provide any specific details about the ownership of the weapon.” Cunha noted that Andrade’s father was in a state of shock and could not give an explanation about how his son gained access to a gun.
Andrade’s cellphone and laptop were recovered by investigators, in hopes that these devices might shed more light on the circumstances leading up to the tragic incident.
The victims were friends with Andrade, adding another layer of complexity to the situation. Fernanda Gama’s mother, Elisangela de Sousa, revealed that her daughter and the other victims were close with Andrade, meeting with him at church every Sunday. Despite the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, de Sousa expressed no animosity towards Andrade.
The Heliópolis community is in a state of mourning following the incident. The Bahia state government has arranged for psychologists and social workers to support the students and staff at the school. According to a statement, the local government and education department are committed to providing a “healthy, welcoming, and safe” environment for everyone at the school.
Despite strict gun control laws in Brazil, school shootings have been on the rise in recent years, often involving illegally obtained firearms. A startling 60% of all school shooting incidents in the past two decades occurred between 2022 and 2023, with the state of São Paulo recording the highest number of school attacks in the country.
As the Heliópolis community comes to terms with this heartbreaking event, many questions remain unanswered. The investigation into the shooting is still in progress, with authorities hopeful that Andrade’s personal devices might yield more information about the incident. In the interim, the local community continues to provide support to the bereaved families and those impacted by the tragedy.
