On the morning of 19 June 2023, at around 9:30 a.m. local time, a 21-year-old former student of the Colégio Estadual Professora Helena Kolody in Cambé, Paraná, Brazil, entered the school under the pretense of requesting a copy of his academic transcript. Once inside, in a hallway near the main courtyard, he drew a .38 caliber revolver and opened fire on students. Witnesses reported hearing approximately 15 to 16 shots before a school employee managed to subdue the shooter and restrain him until police arrived.
Two students were fatally wounded in the attack. Karoline Verri Alves, 17, died at the scene. Luan Augusto da Silva, 16, was initially hospitalized but succumbed to his injuries the following day, 20 June 2023.
The attacker was taken into custody by the Paraná State Police shortly after the shooting and was charged with double homicide and attempted murder. Two days later, on 21 June 2023, he was found dead in his cell at the Cambé police station. Authorities reported that he appeared to have taken his own life, though the circumstances remained under investigation.
The shooting prompted widespread public mourning in Cambé, and local authorities declared three days of official mourning. Classes were suspended for the remainder of the week, and psychological support was made available to students and teachers.
Police investigations indicated that the attack had been premeditated and that the perpetrator had expressed resentment over alleged bullying he experienced while attending the school. He reportedly told investigators the shooting was an act of "revenge" and that he did not personally know his victims. Authorities stated that he had legally owned the firearm used in the attack. A notebook found by police contained notes about various school shootings, most prominently the Suzano massacre, in which two students killed eight people and injured eleven others before dying in a suicide pact.
The incident renewed public debate in Brazil about rising violence in schools and the influence of extremist online communities. Brazil's Ministry of Education announced the strengthening of federal programs focused on school safety and psychological support for students and educators.
Credit: John CornynPublic domainSourceSOLVEDListen
