Police fatally shot an armed man after he allegedly held 13 children hostage inside a Brazilian preschool for more than three hours.
The unidentified suspect reportedly forced his way into a classroom at the São Braz Municipal Early Childhood Education Center in Curitiba on Friday, keeping several young children and school employees at knifepoint, according to local outlet Paranaíba Mais.
During the standoff, the man spread a liquid with a gasoline-like odor throughout the classroom and repeatedly threatened to ignite it, heightening fears for the children’s safety.
“The suspect also threatened to pour gasoline on himself and the others. Our negotiation teams were working, but we saw no alternative except to neutralize him,” Paraná state police spokesperson Leticia Martins told reporters outside the school.
Members of the Special Police Operations Battalion eventually launched a tactical intervention. The suspect was killed during the operation, Paranaíba Mais reported.
Local police commander Alexandre Dias said the suspect had schizophrenia. Authorities did not identify the man or provide details about how officers killed him.
“We entered the classroom in a highly tactical manner, minimizing the risk to the children,” Dias said.
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Outside the preschool, distressed parents waited anxiously as police negotiators worked to end the hostage crisis.
Officers escorted some of the children from the building only minutes after witnesses reported hearing two explosions.
Police said all 13 children, who were between 4 and 5 years old, were rescued from the classroom, according to the local outlet.
Five children were examined by medical teams, but no injuries were reported.
Curitiba City Hall said both the children and school employees would be offered psychological support following the traumatic incident.
The hostage situation unfolded in Curitiba’s São Braz district, roughly 250 miles south of São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.
With Post wires.
