Hatchet-wielding man, 25, kills four children in daycare center after climbing over wall to enter

Police said the 25-year-old suspect will be charged for murder and attempt to murder while they search for a motive

PUBLISHED APR 6, 2023

(Representational picture, Getty Images)

BLUMENAU, BRAZIL: A man wielding a hatchet entered a daycare center in Brazil and killed a group of children on Wednesday, April 5, shocking the country, mounting pressure on the government to crack down on the escalating levels of violence.

The attack, which took place in the city of Blumenau in southern Brazil, resulted in the death of four children while several others were injured. The attacker gained entry into the center by jumping over a wall. Later, the man turned himself in at a police station, and officials have stated that he did not have any connection to the center. The children who died were between the ages of five and seven, according to authorities.

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According to detective Ronnie Esteves, authorities are searching for a motive behind the attack, as it was unclear why the suspect targeted the daycare center. Hours after the attack, the justice and education ministers pledged to invest in new violence-prevention efforts, indicating that the government was taking the issue seriously.

'What did a five-year-old do to this person?'

Valeria Aparecida Camilo, a woman whose five-year-old daughter attended the center, said she was working when a colleague told her about what had happened. She immediately called her husband, Gustavo, who rushed to the school to check on their daughter. To their relief, they foud out their child had survived the attack. "The moment I saw her, it was a relief," Gustavo said, as per Yahoo News. "But we feel sorry for everything that has happened, with the other kids who wound up dying. They have no cruelty, they’re kids," Camilo said, adding, "They’re 5 years old. What did a 5-year-old do to this person?"

Another parent, Franciele Chequeto, said one of the girls killed was friends with her seven-year-old son, Gabriel. "He wasn't understanding," Chequeto said, adding, "I sat down and told him that he no longer will be able to see some of his little friends."

The attacker was a 25-year-old from Parana state

The civil police chief of the state, Ulisses Gabriel, said the assailant was a 25-year-old man from the neighboring Parana state. According to Gabriel, the suspect will be charged with murder and attempted murder. Authorities told people that the attack was an isolated incident and not connected to any other crimes.