Armed man invades school and takes several children hostage in Brazil

Um man armed with a knife broke into a school in Curitiba, Brazil, and took several children hostage, during the afternoon of Friday. According to local press, authorities are still in negotiations with the suspect.

The incident occurred at the Municipal Center for Early Childhood Education in the neighborhood of São Braz.

Cited by the G1, the Public Security Secretariat (SESP) confirmed that it obtained a first contact with the suspect around 5:30 p.m. locals (9:30 p.m. in Lisbon) and confirmed that there are 13 hostages.

The area has already been isolated and a helicopter is flying over the area, while the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) is negotiating with the suspect.

“The Paraná Military Police (PMPR) was triggered, on the afternoon of Friday, to meet an occurrence that requires crisis management in the neighborhood São Braz, in Curitiba. Corporation teams, including BOPE, are on site performing the service ", confirmed the Military Police. 

Children in other rooms of the education centre have already managed to leave the place. 

The Curitiba Municipal Department of Education assured that the children’s families “are being welcomed by teams” of the municipality, which also mobilized “psychological professionals to offer specialized care”. 

[News update]