A 19-year-old student Lyedja Santos who wanted to find ‘peace’ with herself shot a classmate at a high school in the northern Brazilian town of Natal on Tuesday, the Rio Grande de Norte Civil Police said.
Police said that Lyedja spotted an 18-year-old classmate along the hallway and sh0t him in the head at the E. Berilo Wanderley School.
Santos, who is in the 11th grade, then walked inside a classroom and attempted to sho0t a teacher as students were about to take a test, but the gun got jammed, Brazilian news outlet G1 reported.
A student who was in the classroom told Inter TV Cabugi that one of their male classmates rushed at Santos and was able to restrain her.
‘We were in the classroom about to take the test and she called her friends to talk to her, to talk about the classroom. A short time passed, about a minute, and we only heard the shot,’ the student said.
‘We didn’t know for sure if it was a sh0t, we thought it was a bomb. She entered the classroom armed, aimed at the teacher’s head, but the gůn jammed,’ they recalled.
‘When it jammed, she turned her back to try to run, and the boy in the classroom jumped on top of her and managed to pull her away.’
The Rio Grande do Norte Military Police recovered the .38 caliber revolver that Santos had in her possession as well as three knives and several books about serial k!llers.
Authorities also found a handwritten note that Santos had on her in which she detailed the motive behind the failed school massacre.
‘I acted alone, I acquired everything on my own and no one knew anything about it,’ she wrote.
‘To my friends and family, I thank you for everything you have done for me and I am sorry for everything I have caused. I would never have dreamed of dying like this, but this was the best option.
‘I loved each and every one of you, even if I didn’t show it. I hope you understand and forgive me, because that is the only way I will find peace.’
The wounded student, who is also an 11th grader and whose name has not been released, is in stable condition at Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital, his father told G1.
‘There is an entry and exit hole, the bullet was not lodged,’ said Ilzeany Dilis, a nursing technician with the Mobile Emergency Care Service.
‘At the time [of the sho0ting], he was conscious, oriented, and had vomiting symptoms. He had a CT scan, was evaluated by a neurologist and his health is fine.’
Santos was charged with attempted murder and was scheduled to make a court appearance Wednesday.
The Rio Grande do Norte Department of Education condemned the shooting and said the school would be closed until Thursday.
‘The department is providing all the necessary information to assist the ongoing investigations, conducted by the competent authorities, in addition to providing all necessary support to the school,’ it said in statement.
‘The secretariat reinforces that the safety of students, teachers and staff is a priority and that it is closely monitoring the developments of this case. We express our solidarity with the family of the affected student and the school community. We reiterate our commitment to collaborate so that appropriate measures are taken.’
The school shooting took place after a 15-year-old high school student murdered a fellow classmate and a teacher and then k!lled herself at Abundant Life Christian Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow, injured six others during her spree, two of whom have been described as being in a ‘life-threatening’ condition.
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