Full Breakdown
Police Kill Suspect After He Held 13 Children Hostage at Curitiba School
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Hostage Situation at São Braz School
A man identified by Parana state police as suffering from schizophrenia entered a classroom at the São Braz Municipal Early Childhood Education Center in Curitiba and held 13 children and staff at knifepoint for more than two hours. The suspect poured a liquid that smelled of gasoline and repeatedly threatened to set the room on fire. Children were aged between four and five years. No injuries were reported, though five children later received medical attention for non-critical issues.
Police Intervention and Outcome
Minutes after two explosions were heard, officers emerged carrying the children outside. The suspect was killed during the tactical operation; police have not disclosed the method of his death.
Support for Children and Staff
Curitiba City Hall announced that psychological support services will be provided to the children and school staff affected by the incident. Local media showed tearful parents waiting outside the school while negotiations were ongoing.
Official Statements & Responses
Parana state police spokesperson Leticia Martins said negotiations were in place but that officers saw “no alternative but to neutralize” the suspect after he threatened to pour gasoline on himself and others. Martins did not disclose the suspect’s identity or the exact manner of his death. Curitiba City Hall pledged ongoing mental-health assistance for those involved.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We entered the classroom using a very tactical approach, with little risk for the children,” — Alexandre Lopes Dias