A 13-year-old boy has been arrested following an attack at a school in northwestern Brazil that also left two people injured. Classes are suspended throughout the state.

Another school shooting in Brazil. A 13-year-old boy opened fire on Tuesday, May 5, at a school in Rio Branco, in the state of Acre, killing two employees and wounding a student and a third adult.

The suspect was quickly apprehended by police, according to local authorities. The teenager's father, who owned the weapon used, was also arrested.

A school community in shock

The injured were hospitalized, and an investigation has been opened by the Acre Civil Police. "In the face of this tragedy, the State expresses its deepest solidarity with the families of the victims, the school community of the São José Institute, and all education professionals affected by this event," the local government stated. Psychological support teams have been deployed to assist students and teachers following the attack.

Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, a receptionist at the Inacio Palace Hotel, adjacent to the school, told AFP that he saw students trying to jump over the wall separating the buildings, "except it's six meters high and only one managed to get over it." "The others took refuge on the school roof, trying to escape," he said by telephone, adding that he heard "gunshots and a lot of screaming." Images broadcast by a local media outlet showed a woman being evacuated on a stretcher, as well as tearful families embracing in front of the school, where police were deployed.

Classes suspended and growing concern

In accordance with security protocols, classes were suspended for three days in all schools across the state. This was an exceptional measure in response to the shockwave caused by the shooting.

In recent years, attacks on schools have increased in Brazil, fueling serious concerns about school safety. In September 2025, two teenagers were shot dead and three minors wounded at a school in the northeastern state of Ceará. In October 2023, a shooting at a school in São Paulo left a 17-year-old student dead and three others wounded. Shortly before, a teenager killed one student and wounded three others in a knife attack after school at a school in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. In April of the same year, a 25-year-old man killed four children aged 3 to 7 with an axe at a daycare center in the southern state of Santa Catarina.