The Aracruz school shootings were a shooting spree that occurred on November 25, 2022, at two schools in Aracruz, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Four people were killed, and 12 others were injured. The suspect, a 16-year-old former student at one of the schools, was arrested approximately four hours later.[1][2][3]
| Aracruz school shootings | |
|---|---|
  The shooter approaching the entrance of the second location (top) The shooter opening fire (bottom) | |
| Location | Aracruz, Espírito Santo, Brazil |
| Date | 25 November 2022 c. 9:30 – c. 9:50 a.m. (BRT (UTC-3)) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, school shooting, spree shooting, mass murder |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 4 |
| Injured | 12 |
| Perpetrator | Gabriel Rodrigues Castiglioni |
| Motive | Accelerationism, Neo-Nazism |
Shootings
editThe shootings began at around 9:30 a.m. and occurred at two schools located on the same street.[1][4] The gunman, who wore camouflaged clothing, an armband with a swastika, a skull mask, and a bucket hat, broke into the Primo Bitti Elementary and Middle School, a public school serving elementary and middle school students, after destroying a lock. There, he shot 11 people, killing two teachers. A third teacher died a day later.[1][3][5]
Afterwards, the gunman drove to the Educational Center Praia de Coqueiral, a private school.[1][3] Entering at 9:49 a.m. through the unlocked gates,[4] he shot an additional three people, killing a female 6th-grade student.[3] The gunman fled again a minute later[4] and remained at large for approximately 4 hours. Later, the Military Police released a statement confirming that a suspect was in custody.[1][6]
Victims
editThe victims of the attacks were identified by multiple news sources:
Aftermath and reactions
editAfter the shootings, Aracruz announced the suspension of all classes at municipal schools.[10]
The Aracruz mayor said this was "the largest tragedy this city has ever seen".[11] Renato Casagrande, the governor of Espírito Santo, said he would pay attention to the case with "much regret and sadness".[12] He also declared three days of official mourning in the state.[5] President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva posted on Twitter, "My solidarity to the families of the victims in this absurd tragedy."[13]
Motive
editGabriel Rodrigues Castiglioni was reportedly active in online neo-Nazi communities which promoted accelerationism - including Terrorgram.[14][15] In addition to this, the attire he wore during the attack bared a strong resemblance in style to the uniforms worn by members of the Atomwaffen Division.[16] A homemade Nazi flag emblem can also been seen on the shoulder sleeve of Rodrigues' camouflage wear.[17][18]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Bridi, Carla (November 25, 2022). "Shootings at Brazil schools leave 3 dead, 13 wounded". Associated Press. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Filho de PM, atirador usou armas e carro do pai em Aracruz, diz polícia". noticias.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Aracruz: Atentado a tiros em duas escolas no ES deixam ao menos 3 mortos". noticias.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Ataques em Aracruz: invasão em uma das escolas durou cerca de um minuto". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Mendonca, Duarte (November 25, 2022). "At least 3 people killed and 11 others injured in Brazil school shootings". CNN. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Assassino que invadiu escolas e deixou três mortos e onze feridos em Aracruz é preso". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ a b "Menina de 12 anos está entre mortos no ataque a escolas em Aracruz". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Sobe para 4 o número de mortos em ataque a escolas de Aracruz (ES)". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Morre a quarta vítima dos ataques a escolas em Aracruz". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Ataques a tiros em escolas em Aracruz: aulas são suspensas na cidade". br.noticias.yahoo.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ Vitória, Folha (November 25, 2022). ""A maior tragédia que nossa cidade já viu", diz prefeito de Aracruz sobre ataques a escolas". Folha Vitória (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Ataque a escolas em Aracruz: governador do ES diz acompanhar caso 'com pesar e muita tristeza'". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Lula: ataque a tiros em escolas de Aracruz (ES) é 'tragédia absurda'". noticias.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Terrorgram, a network of neo-Nazi channels, is spreading across Brazil". Nucleo. August 29, 2024.
These radical and extremist propagandas from Terrorgram have real-world effects. In 2022, a 16-year-old Brazilian teenager killed four people in a school attack in Aracruz, Espírito Santo. It was discovered that the teenager had been radicalized through Telegram channels connected to the collective.
- ^ "Brazilian court bans Telegram for failing to hand over data from neo-Nazi groups". Engadget. May 3, 2023.
- ^ "Dangerous Organizations and Bad Actors: Atomwaffen Division | Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey". www.middlebury.edu. April 12, 2023.
- ^ https://i.watchpeopledie.tv/images/16969330598609424.webp
- ^ Nova, Redazione Agenzia (November 25, 2022). "Enter two schools and shoot: at least three dead and nine wounded in Brazil".
