Minute silence for Brazilian school victims

08/04/11 08:43 CET

world news

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School children ran for their lives in Rio as a former pupil rampaged through the building opening fire, killing 12 pupils and injuring at least 11 more, some of them seriously.

Witnesses say the shooting happened as classes were about to start at eight o’clock in the morning on Thursday. Experts estimate that the gunman fired at least thirty bullets, spreading panic throughout the school. He was a former pupil, twenty-four year old Wellington Menezes de Oliveira. He told teachers that he was there to make a speech.

As police confronted him he shot himself in the head, leaving a suicide note.

Distraught parents arrived at the school in the aftermath. The victims were all aged between twelve and fourteen.

Brazil is calling the incident an unprecedented tragedy. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was emotional as she spoke after the tragedy.

“I suggest a minute of silence in order that we can all show our homage to those small Brazilians that were removed from life so early”

More about: Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, Shootings

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