Attack at school in Sobral leaves two students dead and three injured.
Gunmen opened fire on students during recess at a state school in Ceará; police are investigating the motive.
(Reuters)- Two students were shot dead and three others were injured after a shooting at a state school in Sobral, in the interior of Ceará, this Thursday, the state government reported.
In a statement, the Public Security and Social Defense Secretariat of Ceará stated that the shots were fired from the sidewalk outside the school and that all efforts are being made to capture those involved. The three injured individuals were taken to hospitals, and there is no immediate information about their health status.
"The suspects fired shots from the sidewalk outside the school, hitting the victims in the school parking lot. During the incident, a quantity of drugs, precision scales, and packaging materials were seized from one of the victims," the department said.
"Teams from the Military Police of Ceará (PMCE), the Civil Police of the State of Ceará (PCCE), and the Forensic Expertise of the State of Ceará (Pefoce) were called in and are on site conducting the initial investigations into the ongoing incident," the department added, also stating that visible policing has been reinforced in the city.
In a publication on X, the governor of Ceará, Elmano de Freitas (PT), expressed "indignation and deep regret" over the episode and said he had ordered the state's public security leadership to go to the region.
"I received with indignation and deep sorrow the news of the death of two teenagers and the shooting of three others at a school in Sobral, a very serious and intolerable event," he stated. "I extend my solidarity to the families and friends of the victims of this cruel act."
The Ceará State Department of Education said in a statement that it "deeply regrets what happened at the school in Sobral" and stated that students at the school were excused from classes on Thursday and Friday.
"The school community will also have the support of Psychology professionals from the Regional Coordination Office upon returning to classes," the department said.
