Armed man holds 20 children hostage in Curitiba school, Brazil
An armed man with a knife is holding approximately 20 children hostage in a school in Curitiba. Police have mobilised special forces and negotiators.
Hostage situation in school: man with knife corners 20 children in Curitiba
An armed man with a knife has taken approximately 20 children hostage inside a classroom in a school in Curitiba, in southern Brazil, CNN Portugal reports.
Police have cordoned off the perimeter around the establishment and mobilised officers from the special operations battalion, as well as negotiators, to manage the incident, according to a statement from local authorities.
Captain João Roberto Galeto confirmed, in statements cited by local media, that the individual is locked inside a classroom with the children.
The Municipal Department of Education indicated, in a statement, that it has been monitoring the situation from the outset and that it has staff prepared to provide support to the children and their respective families. "The absolute priority at this moment is to preserve the life and integrity of all those involved," it assured.
The state of Paraná, where Curitiba is the capital, has recorded other episodes of violence in a school context in recent times. In 2023, an armed man with a pistol entered a school in the city of Cambé, and the subsequent shooting resulted in the deaths of two students.
Source: CNN Portugal