On April 5, 2023, a hatchet attack occurred at a daycare center in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Four children were killed; five others were injured. Luiz Henrique Lima, an 25-year-old male and the suspected attacker, who is believed to have jumped over a wall to gain access to the school, surrendered at a nearby police station.

Background
School attacks increased in Brazil in the years prior to the attack. Out of 16 school attacks in Brazil between 2000 and 2022, four occurred in the second half of 2022. A previous attack on a daycare occurred in 2021, when an 18-year-old man killed three children and two adults at a daycare in Saudades, Santa Catarina. A week prior to the Blumenau attack, a student in the Thomazia Montoro State School, São Paulo, killed a teacher and wounded five others in a stabbing attack. On March 30, at the "Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental e Médio Prof.º Palmira Gabriel" in Icoaraci, district of Belém, an student attacked his colleagues with an knife, leaving one student injured.

Attack
At around 9:00 UTC-3, Luiz Henrique Lima jumped over a wall of the Cantinho Bom Pastor daycare center and began attacking children in the playground. Around 40 children were reported to have been inside the center at the time of the attack. A teacher said that Luiz Henrique carried a hatchet and other unspecified weapons. He apparently targeted his victims at random, primarily aiming for their heads. According to police, he fled after teachers defended the children and turned himself in to police at a local station.

Other attacks
During the weeks after the attack, there were several other attack attempts in schools; on April 10, at the Cachoeirinha Adventist School, in Manaus, a student, armed with an knife, stabbed a teacher and two students, leaving them with minor injuries. The following day (April 11), at the  Dr. Marco Aurélio State College in Santa Tereza de Goiás, a thirteen-year-old student attacked several people with a knife, leaving three students with minor injuries. On April 12, two students were injured in the Isaac de Alcântara Costa School, Farias Brito, Ceará, after a 9th grade student attacked several people with a knife. In addition, threats of massacres began to circulate on social networks in a large part of the country, which caused suspension of classes, rescheduling of tests and administrative meetings in schools.

According to Michele Prado, a researcher at the University of São Paulo (USP)'s Digital Media Political Debate Monitor, the publication of the aggressor's image or action in the press or social media can encourage a "window of contagion effect" for new attacks; according to Prado, the literature indicates that this "window" lasts about 13 or 14 days after the repercussions of an attack happen, which would explain the short time span between all the attacks.

Victims
Four children between the ages of five and seven were killed in the attack. Five others, aged between three and five, were injured and taken to hospitals. One was in severe condition. The children killed were veiled and buried in Blumenau, while the survivors were released from the hospital the next day.

Suspect
The suspect was identified as an 25 year-old man with the initials "L.H.L", many news media outlets refused to disclose further information about him (such as his name), fearing giving more attention to the case, which experts said may stimulate more attacks. Early investigations revealed that he was previously detained for drug possession, as well as injury and harm, including stabbing his stepfather and his dog. Police said that the suspect did not appear to have any connection to the daycare center. Authorities revealed the suspect reportedly had a psychotic episode.

News coverage
Due to the "window of contagion effect" and studies indicating that many of the criminals seek fame by perpetrating the attacks, on the same day Grupo Globo announced a change in the policy of covering massacres, announcing that the names and images of the criminals, as well as images of the actions, would never again be disclosed, before, as explained by journalists such as William Bonner, who gave the information in Jornal Nacional, the policy was to disclose this data only once, "This policy changes this Wednesday (5th) and will be even more restrictive: the name and image of perpetrators of attacks will never be published, as well as videos of the actions; The decision follows the most recent recommendations of prestigious experts on the subject, for whom giving visibility to aggressors can serve as a stimulus to new attacks", Bonner explained.

O Estado de S. Paulo did not release photos or videos of the attack, on the portal, shortly after the crime, next to the published news, there was the following note:

Reactions
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated in a tweet, "There is no greater pain than that of a family that loses its children or grandchildren, even more so in an act of violence against innocent and defenseless children". Santa Catarina governor Jorginho Mello also gave his condolences to the families of those killed in the attack. Blumenau mayor Mário Hildebrandt suspended classes and stated he would declare a 30-day mourning period.

References

2023 crimes in Brazil
Attacks on schools in Brazil
Mass stabbings in South America
April 2023 crimes in South America
School killings in South America
Stabbing attacks in 2023
Blumenau
April 2023 events in Brazil
Mass murder in Brazil