Brazil shooting: 11 dead at Rio de Janeiro school after gunman opens fire

Eleven killed after gunman opens fire in Rio de Janeiro elementary school before turning weapon on himself

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:52 PM on 7th April 2011

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Killing spree: 24-year-old Wellington de Oliveira shot dead 11 children at a Rio de Janeiro school and then killed himself

A gunman killed 11 children at an elementary school in Rio de Janeiro before turning the gun on himself.

And authorities say a further 20 people were injured in the massacre, which took place inside the Tasso de Oliveira school in the city's Realengo neighbourhood this morning.

The gunman has been named as 24-year-old Wellington de Oliveira, who was a former pupil at the school, which teaches children aged ten to 15.

According to police, Oliveira entered the school at about 8.30am carrying two guns and a suicide note. He told school officials he was there to deliver a speech, and then opened fire on students.

Police commander Djalma Beltrame said the gunman left a letter at the scene indicating he wanted to kill himself, but it did not give a clear motive for the shooting. Police said he did not have a criminal record.

Several of the wounded children fleeing to the street called a police patrol, which rushed to the school.

A police officer later told reporters he shot Oliveira in the leg after the gunman left a classroom and was attempting to reach the third floor of the building. Oliveira fell onto the stairs and shot himself in the head.

Television images showed hundreds of distraught people gathered outside the school after it was cordoned off.

Worst nightmare: Anxious parents and relatives of pupils wait outside school desperate for news of their loved-ones

Grief: Anxious people wait outside the school for news after it was barricaded off by police officers

TV also showed three helicopters landing on a football field next to the school and then ferrying the wounded to nearby hospitals.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff wept when commenting on the incident during a speech to business leaders and requested a moment of silence for the victims.

Ready for action: Armed police arrive at the school after the alarm was raised

'This type of crime is not characteristic of our country and therefore we are all ... united in repudiating this act of violence,' he said.

The city's Governor, Sergio Cabral, added: 'We have to show solidarity and support for the families of the children [killed by] that psychopath, that animal.'

The attack is the first serial killing of its kind in Brazil. Violence in Rio has traditionally been associated with drug gangs that control vast areas of the city’s slum communities.

Rio’s government has in recent months made considerable advances against narco-trafficking but crime remains a problem in the beachside tourist haven.

Carnage: Firefighters carry the body of the suspect from the building after he opened fire with a handgun

Distraught: Parents scream for information after the shooting this morning

Motive? The gunman, believed to be a former pupil at the school, left a note stating he wanted to kill himself

Crime experts say contraband firearms from police and the army often end up in the hands of criminals.

Authorities have stepped up slum pacification efforts that have created a permanent police presence in poor neighborhoods in hopes of tightening security in advance of the 2014 World Cup soccer championship and the 2016 Olympic Games.

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