A tragic incident unfolded at the Dom Pedro I Municipal School in Heliópolis, Brazil on October 18, 2024, when a 14-year-old student embarked on a deadly shooting rampage, causing four fatalities.
Samuel Andrade, the suspected shooter, unleashed a hail of bullets upon his peers, killing three students before turning the gun on himself. The victims, identified by Bahia Civil Police, include 15-year-olds Jonathan dos Santos, Fernanda Gama, and Adriele Ferreira.
The incident happened mid-afternoon while the students were in their classrooms. As per the police reports, Andrade initiated the shooting from his desk, firing a .38-caliber revolver at his classmates. Although a teacher and nine other students in the room escaped physical harm, they were left emotionally traumatized by the horrifying ordeal.
The investigators are working diligently to unearth the motive behind the shooting and to determine how Andrade managed to secure the firearm.
Thiago Cunha, the police chief, in a statement on Saturday, mentioned, “The father’s statement was very brief and did not provide any specific details about the ownership of the weapon.” Cunha also stated that Andrade’s father was overwhelmed with grief and couldn’t explain how his son gained access to a firearm.
In the quest for more clues about Andrade’s actions leading up to the shooting, investigators have secured his cellphone and laptop.
Adding to the complexity of the incident, the victims were known to be friends with Andrade. Elisangela de Sousa, the mother of Fernanda Gama, revealed that her daughter and the other victims used to meet Andrade at church every Sunday. Despite the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, de Sousa said she harbored no resentment towards Andrade.
The Heliópolis community is grieving in the aftermath of this terrible event. To provide support to the affected students and staff, the Bahia state government has arranged for psychologists and social workers to visit the school. The municipal government and education department, in a statement, committed to maintaining a “healthy, welcoming, and safe” environment for everyone at the school.
Despite stringent gun ownership regulations in Brazil, the country has witnessed a surge in school shootings in recent years, predominantly involving illegally obtained firearms. Alarmingly, 60% of all school attacks in the past two decades happened between 2022 and 2023, with the state of São Paulo recording the most instances of school attacks nationwide.
As the Heliópolis community attempts to come to terms with this tragedy, questions about Andrade’s motives and possible prevention measures remain unanswered. The investigation continues, with authorities hoping to glean more information from Andrade’s personal devices. Meanwhile, the community continues to rally around the bereaved families and those touched by the horrific incident.
