Brazil police rescue 13 children after kindergarten hostage standoff, assailant dead

Rio de Janeiro, October 10 — Brazil's police rescued 13 children from a hostile situation in their kindergarten and fatally shot the assailant, officials announced. The confrontation occurred in Curitiba, a southern city. The military police special forces commander, Alexandre Lopes Dias, informed reporters that the operation successfully neutralized the person and secured the safety of the children, who were taken for medical checks and care.

One child suffered a minor injury. The attacker arrived by bicycle, stormed the municipal education center for young children, and took the 13 kindergarteners hostage. He set a flammable substance alight inside the room, threatening to burn the building down. The attacker wielded a knife and a fake firearm. Negotiations lasted for 2.5 to 3 hours, during which the children grew increasingly agitated, and the assailant began physically assaulting them.

Realizing the worsening situation and the children's distress, the police decided on a tactical intervention to prevent further harm. Witness accounts on local TV showed teachers and school staff evacuating other children from the building. Police confirmed the attacker had schizophrenia, but the motive remained unclear, and no connections to the kindergarten were established.

Curitiba Mayor Eduardo Pimentel expressed relief on Instagram, stating, "The 13 children are alive and safe!" After tense moments, the authorities are relieved that the situation has been resolved. Brazil has seen several school-related attacks in recent years, including a 2023 incident where a man killed four children with an ax in Blumenau, also in the southern region of the country.