According to the Rio Grande de Norte Civil Police, a 19-year-old student at a high school in Natal, Brazil, shot a classmate in an attempt to seek ‘peace’ with herself.
Authorities said that Lyedja Santos spotted an 18-year-old classmate along the hallway and shot him in the head at the E. Berilo Wanderley School.
The student, identified as Santos and in the 11th grade, then proceeded to enter a classroom and tried to shoot a teacher while students were preparing to take a test. However, the gun malfunctioned and did not fire, as reported by Brazilian news outlet G1.
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.
Recalling the incident, a student mentioned, ‘We were in the classroom ready to begin the test when she asked her friends to come talk to her about something in the classroom. Shortly after, in about a minute, we heard the gunshot.’
‘We didn’t know for sure if it was a shot, we thought it was a bomb. She entered the classroom armed, aimed at the teacher’s head, but the gun 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 killers.
Lyedja Santos, a 19-year-old student, was arrested Tuesday after she shot an 18-year-old classmate in the head at E. Berilo Wanderley School, a high school in the northern Brazilian city of Natal. Santos had prepared a note in which she told her friends and family that she wanted to be at ‘peace’ with herself. Her classmate remained hospitalized as of Wednesday and is in stable condition
A student restrained Lyedja Santos (bottom right) while teachers tended to the wounded classmate (top left) who was shot in the head by Santos
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 shooting], he was conscious, oriented, and had vomiting symptoms. He had a CT scan, was evaluated by a neurologist and his health is fine.’
Lyedja Santos has been charged with attempted murder. She was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday
Authorities seized three knives and the .38 caliber revolver that the 19-year-old girl used to shoot her high school classmate
Lyedja Santos prepared a handwritten note to explain her motive: ‘I acted alone, I acquired everything on my own and no one knew anything about it. 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’
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.’
Lyedja Santos planned a massacre at Berilo Wanderley High School, a high school in Natal, Brazil on Monday and wounded a classmate and attempted to shoot a teacher before her gun jammed
Santos is escorted by a police officer Wednesday. The teen was charged with attempted murder
The school shooting took place after a 15-year-old high school student murdered a fellow classmate and a teacher and then killed 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.
Madison’s police chief says he’s looking into possible social media posts by Wisconsin school shooter Natalie Rupnow that were shared online prior to the bloodbath Monday morning.
The most chilling post that may have been made by Rupnow shows a person inside a bathroom stall giving an ‘OK’ hand gesture, and wearing black Doc Marten boots.
It was posted shortly before a teacher and teenage student were killed at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison before Rupnow killed herself.
Authorities have yet to say whether that post or others were indeed made by the killer, 15, and DailyMail.com has not been able to authenticate them.
She injured six others during her spree, two of whom have been described as being in a ‘life-threatening’ condition.
The Doctor Marten boots post also shows Rupnow give an ‘ok’ hand symbol.
That symbol has since been co-opted by white supremacists because of its resemblance to the letters WP (white power).
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the motive behind the shooting appears to have been a ‘combination of factors’.
