Sigma School shooting

On the morning of 28 October 2002, a school shooting took place at the Sigma School (Escola Sigma), a private institution serving about 250 primary and secondary students in a middle-class neighborhood of Salvador, the capital of Bahia, Brazil. The perpetrator, identified only by his initials E. R. because he was a minor at the time, was a 17-year-old student at the school.

According to classmates' accounts, E. R. had been publicly ridiculed for roughly a month by two 15-year-old students, Vanessa Carvalho Batista and Natasha Silva Ferreira, after he lost points during a school activity day. Testimonies indicate he was angered that the girls had given him a low score during the sports event, and he subsequently threatened to kill them both. His relationship with the two girls reportedly deteriorated from that point onward.

On the day of the shooting, a Monday, E. R. arrived late to school, where classes began at 7:15 a.m. When his mathematics teacher asked him to present a homework assignment, he said he had brought it and then produced a .38-caliber revolver from his backpack; the weapon had reportedly been stolen from a relative who was a member of the Brazilian police force. At 7:30 a.m., he fired four shots. One shot struck Vanessa Batista, killing her instantly. He then walked approximately six meters toward Natasha Ferreira and shot her three times, seriously wounding her. He subsequently went to the school playground, where he remained until the Military Police arrived; witnesses described him as nervous and threatening to kill himself. Police asked his 21-year-old brother to help negotiate, and E. R. was taken into custody.

After his arrest, E. R. was brought to the Adolescent Offender Police Station for a preliminary statement, during which he did not disclose his motives. He was then referred to the Children's Prosecutor's Office and Youth court, which was to determine a punitive measure within a maximum of 45 days. Because he was a minor, the specific legal punishment applied to him was not made public.

On the day of the shooting, the school announced E. R.'s expulsion and suspended afternoon classes so that students and staff could attend Vanessa Batista's funeral; her corneas were donated to a transplant center, and she was buried later that day at Jardim da Saudade Cemetery. Natasha Ferreira, who had been shot in the head, lung, and neck, was taken in serious condition to Roberto Santos Hospital and then transferred to the State General Hospital due to the lack of a neurologist on-site; she died there the same day at 1:30 p.m. A differing account states she was instead taken to São Rafael Hospital, where she died.