Brazilian police rescued 13 young children, aged between four and five, who had been held hostage for hours at a preschool in the city of Curitiba, and killed the kidnapper, who had threatened to set the building on fire, as announced by the authorities.
“We managed to neutralize this individual and rescue the 13 children, who were handed over to emergency services (…) to receive medical care,” summarized Colonel Alexandre Lopes Jias, head of the special forces of the state police in Paraná, during a press conference.
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At least one of the children was injured by the man, the officer added.
According to the colonel, the man arrived at the kindergarten on a bicycle, jumped over the fence of the public kindergarten, and locked himself in a classroom with the children.
He poured a flammable liquid in the classroom and took out a lighter, which he continued to hold in his hand. He also had a knife with him, and it was initially reported that he had a firearm, though it was later revealed that this information was false.
“Throughout the negotiations, he remained with the children gathered around him and one of them on his lap,” the police officer described.
The negotiations lasted “about two and a half to three hours,” during which the children gradually became restless and the man struck them, he added.
“When we realized that the children were becoming increasingly stressed and that the perpetrator had begun to physically abuse them, we opted for a tactical intervention to prevent the worst from happening,” said Colonel Lopes Jias.
Footage broadcast by Brazilian television networks shows teachers and school administrators leading the remaining children out of the school building.
13 Children Rescued From Brazilian Nursery Siege
An armed man held 13 children hostage for more than three hours at a nursery in Curitiba, #Brazil, after storming in with a knife and pouring fuel inside.
AdvertisementSpecial forces neutralized the suspect and rescued all 13 children without serious injuries.
— Daily Euro Times (@dailyeurotimes) October 10, 2026
Media outlets reported that gunshots and loud explosions, similar to those of flash-bang grenades, were heard during the operation.
After the man’s death, the police released his identity, and it was revealed that he had a history of schizophrenia.
It is unclear at this stage what his motives were or whether he had any connection to the preschool.
“The 13 children are alive and safe! After moments of great tension and anxiety, this is the news we were all waiting for,” said the mayor of Curitiba, Eduardo Pimentel, with evident relief, via Instagram.
Brazil has seen several attacks on educational institutions in recent years. In April 2023, a man killed four children with an axe at a daycare center in Blumenau, also in the southern part of the country.
Source: KYPE
