Samuel Andrade was sitting at his desk at the Dom Pedro I Municipal School in the municipality of Heliópolis on Friday afternoon when he began firing at the students in class, the Bahia Civil Police said.Andrade then shot himself.
The Bahia Civil Police identified the victims, all aged 15, as Jonathan dos Santos, Fernanda Gama and Adriele Ferreira.A teacher and nine students who were in the room at the time of the shooting were not injured.
Police chief Thiago Cunha said investigators interviewed Andrade's father, who said he did not know how his son obtained the .38 caliber revolver used in the shooting.
'The father's statement was very brief and did not provide any specific details about the ownership of the weapon,' Cunha said Saturday. 'He said he did not understand how the teenager had access to the weapon.'
Samuel Andrade fatally shot three of classmates and then himself at the Dom Pedro I Municipal School in Heliópolis, Brazil
Samuel Andrade fatally shot three of classmates and then himself at the Dom Pedro I Municipal School in Heliópolis, Brazil
Fernanda Gama and two other students were gunned down by their classmate Friday. Gama's mother said that the shooter was friends with her daughter and the other victims
Cunha added that investigators recovered the weapon, but that it was too early to say who the owner was.
Authorities seized Andrade's cellphone and a laptop in the hope of learning a motive.
Gama's mother, Elisangela de Sousa, told Brazilian media outlet BNews said that the shooter was friends with her daughter and the other two victims.
'They were friends, very good friends indeed. In fact, they were at church every Sunday. They were Confirmation students,' de Sousa said. She added of the shooter: 'Samuel, I don't hate him.'
Authorities are not sure was drove a student to shoot and kill Jonathan dos Santos (pictured) and two other classmates /Adriele Ferreira and two classmates were shot dead during the middle of class at Dom Pedro I Municipal School in Heliópolis, Brazil on Friday
The Bahia state government said psychologists and social workers would be dispatched Monday to provide support to the students and teacher who witnessed the shooting.
The Heliópolis municipal government and education department issued a joint statement vowing to ensure a 'healthy, welcoming and safe' environment for students and staffers.
'At this time of immense grief and mourning, we express our most sincere condolences to the families, friends and the entire school community, who are facing a devastating and irreparable loss,' the statement said.
'We stand united in solidarity with the victims and their loved ones, as well as with all the students, teachers and staff deeply impacted by this tragedy.'
