A Brazilian teenager has killed three children and two workers in an attack at a daycare centre, officials said today.
The attacker, believed to be 18 years old, then turned the knife on himself, according to police.
He was taken into police custody and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
The attack happened in the small town of Saudades in the state of Santa Catarina.
Municipal Education Secretary Gisela Hermann described a “horror scene” at the facility, which left locals in shock.
She told Reuters in a telephone interview that a female teacher and an educational assistant were among the victims of the attack.
(Image: Canal Ideal / YouTube)
She added that other children would likely be hospitalised as a result of the attack.
Silvia Fernandes dos Santos, a local school board official, said the attack happened around 10am local time (1pm BST).
The teenager was taken into police custody after trying to kill himself, she said.
(Image: Canal Ideal / YouTube)
(Image: Canal Ideal / YouTube)
She explained: “He tried to … take his own life, but he couldn’t. So he was sent to the nearest hospital to be transferred.
“People were very angry, and they wanted to deliver their own justice.”
A police investigation is ongoing.