MEC will send team of experts to Acre after school attack

The Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini, ordered the sending of a team from the Escola que Protege Program to Acre, following a shooting attack at a state school, on Tuesday afternoon (5), which left two dead and two injured. The sending of the team was determined after the minister spoke with the state governor, Mailza Assis.

The team specializes in crisis situations and extreme violence.

The attack was carried out by a 13-year-old teenager. The victims, two employees of the São José Institute, where the tragedy occurred, died at the scene. The injured, a student and another school employee, were taken to an emergency room.

“At this moment, the priority is to care for the school community, with attention to the victims, their families, education professionals and students, ensuring psychosocial support and conditions for a responsible reconstruction process. I reaffirm our commitment to life, peace and the protection of school communities”, said the minister on a social network.

In a statement, the government of Acre said that the teenager claimed responsibility for the shooting and is already in state custody. “The legal guardian of the minor, who also owns the firearm, is detained,” says the note.

The government also said that the Civil Police is investigating the circumstances of the attack to clarify the motivation, the dynamics of the occurrence and possible responsibilities.

Also according to the note, the government monitors the victims, who received immediate care and continue to be assisted by teams from the Department of Health.

“In light of the tragedy, the State expresses deep solidarity with the families of the victims, the school community at Instituto São José and all education professionals impacted by this episode. It also informs that it is mobilizing psychosocial support teams to offer support to students, teachers and others involved”, said the government.

Due to the attack, classes in all state schools were suspended for three days.

School that Protects

Created in 2024, the Escola que Protege Program aims to strengthen the capacity of education networks to prevent and confront violence in schools.

The program operates through the continued training of education professionals, fostering the creation of plans to combat violence and respond to emergencies, advising education networks in cases of extreme violence attacks, in addition to promoting a culture of peace and democratic coexistence.

The program operationalizes the National System for Monitoring and Combating Violence in Schools (Snave).

Escola que Protege also provides psychosocial support to school communities affected by violence, encouraging welcoming practices and respect for diversity, and promoting the creation and maintenance of spaces for student participation and assemblies.