Aracruz school shootings | |
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The shooter approaching the entrance of the second location (top) The shooter opening fire (bottom) | |
Location | Aracruz, Espírito Santo, Brazil |
Date | 25 November 2022; 2 years ago (2022-11-25) 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 | 11 |
Perpetrator | Gabriel Rodrigues Castiglioni |
Motive | Accelerationism, neo-Nazism, retaliation for bullying |
The Aracruz school shootings was a shooting spree that occurred on November 25, 2022, at two schools in Aracruz, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Four people were killed, and 11 others were injured. The perpetrator, Gabriel Rodrigues Castiglioni, a 16-year-old former student at one of the schools, was arrested approximately four hours later.
Shootings
The shootings began at around 9:30 a.m. and occurred at two schools located on the same street. During the shootings, the gunman, Gabriel Rodrigues Castiglioni, wore camouflaged clothing, an armband with a swastika, a skull mask, and a bucket hat. He 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.
Afterwards, the gunman drove to the Educational Center Praia de Coqueiral, a private school. Entering at 9:49 a.m. through the unlocked gates, he shot an additional three people, killing a female 6th-grade student. Rodrigues fled again a minute later and remained at large for approximately 4 hours. During his time at large, he put the weapons away, ate lunch with his parents and went with them to the family's beach house. His parents only found out about their son's actions later that day, when the Military Police arrested him at their home. The police later issues a statement confirming that a suspect was in custody.
Victims
The victims of the attacks were identified by multiple news sources:
- Selena Zagrillo, 12
- Maria da Penha Pereira de Melo Banhos, 48
- Cybelle Passos Bezerra Lara, 45
- Flavia Amoss Merçon Leonardo, 38
Aftermath and reactions
After the shootings, Aracruz announced the suspension of all classes at municipal schools.
The Aracruz mayor said this was "the largest tragedy this city has ever seen". Renato Casagrande, the governor of Espírito Santo, said he would pay attention to the case with "much regret and sadness". He also declared three days of official mourning in the state. President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva posted on Twitter, "My solidarity to the families of the victims in this absurd tragedy."
Perpetrator
The weapons used in the attack belonged to Rodrigues' father, a Military Police lieutenant.
Motive
Gabriel Rodrigues Castiglioni was reportedly active in online neo-Nazi communities which promoted accelerationism - including Terrorgram. 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. A homemade Nazi flag emblem can also been seen on the shoulder sleeve of Rodrigues' camouflage wear.
He claimed to have begun planning the attack since 2019, when he was bullied at his school. Rodrigues would handle his father's guns in secrets and taught himself how to use them using internet tutorials.
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Ataques em Aracruz: invasão em uma das escolas durou cerca de um minuto". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ Mendonca, Duarte (November 25, 2022). "At least 3 people killed and 11 others injured in Brazil school shootings". CNN. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Shooter in Espirito Santo Went Home, Put Away Weapons, and Went to Lunch with Parents after Attack". Folha de S.Paulo. November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- "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.
- ^ "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".
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