13-year-old student fatally attacks two women at Brazilian school

Authorities confirmed that an incident at a school in Acre state, situated in northern Brazil, resulted in the deaths of two women and left two others injured, one of whom is a minor student.

The state government issued a statement revealing that a 13-year-old student was behind the attack at the public school Instituto Sao Jose, located in the capital, Rio Branco.

The two victims who lost their lives were female staff members who passed away at the scene.

Another staff member and a student sustained gunshot injuries and were transported to a hospital. The injured pupil, an 11-year-old girl, was shot in the leg.

The authorities have not released the names of those affected. The police indicated that the suspect, who is now detained, used a firearm owned by a legal guardian.

According to local reports, the gun belonged to the teenager's stepfather, who was also taken into custody.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Russo of the Acre military police department, the suspect discharged the weapon multiple times in a corridor leading to the school office. He handed himself over to law enforcement following the incident.

Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, who works as a receptionist at a nearby hotel, described the frightening scene where students attempted to climb over a barrier separating the school from the hotel grounds.

"The wall reaches six meters high, and only one individual succeeded in jumping over to find safety here at the hotel. Others were left scrambling on the school roof to get away," explained the 19-year-old receptionist, noting that he heard "gunfire and a lot of commotion."

Photos shared by a local news outlet depicted a woman being carried away on a stretcher and emotional scenes outside the school, with people embracing and sobbing.

"The state extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the Instituto Sao Jose school community, and all educators impacted by this tragedy," expressed Acre Gov. Mailza Assis in a statement.

Authorities have announced a three-day suspension of classes across all schools in the state and have deployed mental health teams to support students and staff.

There has been a troubling rise in attacks on schools within Brazil in recent times.

In September 2025, two teenagers lost their lives, and three others were injured at an educational institution in the northeastern state of Ceara.

Back in October 2023, a shooting at a Sao Paulo school resulted in the death of a 17-year-old student, with three others injured.

That same year, a knife attack in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais claimed the life of a teenager and wounded three as they were leaving a school.