World · Latin America · 2 days ago
Police free 13 children held hostage at kindergarten in Brazil
A man took 13 children aged four and five hostage at a kindergarten in Curitiba, a city in southern Brazil.
He barricaded himself in a room with the children and threatened to set the facility on fire.
Police said he had poured out a flammable liquid and was holding a lighter, and that a gun found with him was a replica.
Officers negotiated with him for about two to three hours before deciding to intervene, saying the children were increasingly distressed and he had begun physically attacking them.
Police freed all 13 children, and the man was killed during the intervention.
At least one child was injured, and the children were handed to health authorities and firefighters.
The reason for the hostage-taking and whether the man knew anyone at the kindergarten were not yet known.
Curitiba's mayor said the city would support the affected families, and the city government said psychological help would be offered to the children and staff.
Police in Curitiba, in southern Brazil, rescued 13 children aged four and five after a man took them hostage at a childcare centre.
The man barricaded himself in a room with the children and threatened to set the facility on fire; police said he poured out a flammable liquid and held a lighter.
Police negotiated with him before making a tactical intervention, and he was killed during the operation.
At least one child was injured, and the children were handed over to health authorities and firefighters.
Reports differed on the length of the hostage-taking, describing it as about two hours or around three hours; the man's motive was not known.
- Who
- A man who took 13 children hostage; Curitiba police and special forces
- What
- Police rescued the children in a tactical intervention that killed the hostage-taker
- When
- Friday, local time; exact date not stated in the articles
- Where
- A childcare centre in Curitiba, Paraná, southern Brazil
- Why
- The man's motive was unclear
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The man arrived by bicycle, jumped the childcare centre's fence and barricaded himself in a room with the children.
Police negotiated with the man, who threatened to set the facility on fire and was reported to have poured out a flammable liquid.
Police carried out a tactical intervention, rescued all 13 children and killed the hostage-taker.
The children were handed to health authorities and firefighters, and the mayor said support would be provided to affected families.
- Children held hostage
- 13
- Children's ages
- Four to five years old
- Location
- Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Child injuries
- At least one child was injured
- Hostage-taking duration
- Reported as about two hours by NOS and around three hours by 20 Minuten and n-tv
What people are saying
Als wir erkannten, dass die Kinder immer mehr ausser sich gerieten und dass der Angreifer anfing, sie physisch anzugreifen, haben wir uns für ein taktisches Eingreifen entschieden, um ein grösseres Unglück zu verhindern
Die 13 Kinder sind am Leben und in Sicherheit!
Onze onderhandelaars waren aanwezig, maar we zagen geen andere mogelijkheid dan hem uit te schakelen
Sources
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