Rio de Janeiro: At least 12 children were shot dead at a school by a gunman in Rio de Janeiro, police say, adding the killer shot himself later. At least 12 others were wounded when the man entered the school with two revolvers and began shooting.
The killer has been identified as 23-year-old former pupil Wellington Menezes de Oliveira.
President Dilma Rousseff wept as she condemned the school massacre – the first of its kind in Brazil.
The attack happened at the Escola Municipal Tasso da Silveira school in the western Realengo area.
Officials said Oliveira arrived at the start of the school day and got into the building by saying he had come to give a lecture, but then went into a classroom and began shooting.
Teachers barricaded the doors of other classrooms while children hid under desks.
Some wounded children escaped and alerted police, who rushed to the scene.
Police said the gunmen shot himself in the head after he was confronted by officers.
“The shooting was still going on when I arrived at the school,” military police Sgt Marcio Alves told O Globo.
“I found him on the second floor coming out of a classroom. He pointed his gun in my direction, he got shot and fell, and immediately committed suicide.”
Officers said the fast response had prevented an even bigger massacre at the school of around 400 pupils.
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