Alexander Freitas de Barbosa

**Alexander Freitas de Barbosa** was a Brazilian who killed five persons and wounded 12 others at a carnival in Recife, Brazil, on December 24, 2001 before being subdued and arrested. He was sentenced to 211 years in prison, where he only served three years.

## Background

On September 15, 2001, de Barbosa had coincidently purchased an *suicide bomber* costume, days after the September 11, 2001 attacks. de Barbosa, questioned by the salesman if he was aware to the attacks, he said that he was not. de Barbosa had previously a car accident on February 3, 2001 which left him in coma until September 13, 2001 where he was fully recovered. His mom, Maria Carla Barbosa, traumatized after the attacks, did not tell his son anything about the events.

On September 21, 2001, de Barbosa, who had left for carnival, with a suicide bomber costume with fake explosives, was eventually grabbed by three policemen and arrested after questioning, de Barbosa, was erratically confused with a terrorist, because he had a long beard and showed very strange behavior in the carnival because of his recently coma release, de Barbosa was sent to prison, where he stayed for over 1 month.

On October 6, 2001 Barbosa was released, he showed signs of violence to his family, stating that he was wanting to kill himself, and that he was wanting to do revenge.

On December 2, 2001 Barbosa was put on a psychiatric hospital, where he was put on sedatives mulitiple times. On December 5, 2001 he attacked a patient with a wood plank.

## Murders

On December 24, 2001, when people were celebrating on a crowded carnival, Barbosa lured five of them into a abandoned church, claiming that he was going to sell drugs for them, and stabbed four of them fatally in the neck, while a fiveth died from his wounds in hospital.

Barbosa then began running fast, stabbing every person he encountered, after stabbing and wounding 12 of them, Barbosa was shot by a police officer, where he was preparing to stab the police officers,

Barbosa was seriously wounded and was sent to the Getúlio Vargas Hospital da Esperança hospital, where he stayed until August 9, 2003.

## Aftermath

A memorial for the victims was created on March 29, 2003. While the mayor of the site built a maternity clinic on January 21, 2002 called *Mães de Recife* for a wounded pregnant women and for others women that were abused.

Barbosa was sent to home on August 9, 2003.

One of Barbosa brothers, Vitor Manuel Barbosa, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head on May 6, 2004.

A movie, called *Carnaval* was released on April 4, 2009.

## References

1. ↑ *Mata cinco, fere dez*, O Diario de Recife (December 25, 2001)
2. ↑ *Matou por causa de um incidente de uma fantasia*, *A Pesquisa* (December 26, 2001)
3. ↑ *Matador recebe sua condenação*, *Diario de Recife* (December 27, 2001)
4. ↑ *Coma impediu matador de acompanhar os atentados*, *Diario de Recife* (December 25, 2001)
5. ↑ *Mãe não quis avisar o filho sobre atentados*, *Diario de Recife* (December 27, 2001)
6. ↑ *Fantasia foi pavio para tragedia*, *Diario de Recife* (December 25, 2001)
7. ↑ *Não era terrorista, diz Alexander no tribunal*, *Diario de Recife* (December 26, 2001)
8. ↑ *A tragédia do carnaval*, *Diario de Recife* (December 25, 2001)
9. ↑ *1 Mês na Prisão* *Pernambuco meu Estado* (December 24, 2001)
10. ↑ *Matador já era suicida*, *Diario do Recife* (December 28, 2001)
11. ↑ *Sangue e vingança*, *Paraná o Nacional* (December 25, 2001)
12. ↑ *Rapaz já foi a hospital psiquiátrico*, *Diario do Recife* (December 25, 2001)
13. ↑ *Falsa bomba e fantasia do homem bomba causaram a confusão*, *Diario de Recife* (December 29, 2001)
14. ↑ *Assassino já havia tentado matar paciente em hospital psiquiátrico*, *Diario do Recife* (December 30, 2001)
15. ↑ *Drogas e sangue*, *Diario do Recife* (December 28, 2001)
16. ↑ *Cinco mortos por uma demente*, *Diario do Recife* (December 29, 2001)
17. ↑ *Corrida maluca*, *Diario do Recife* (December 25, 2001)
18. ↑ *Matança não foi pior por causa do policial*, *Jornal o IN* (December 25, 2001)
19. ↑ *Pagina 24, Coluna seis*, *Livros 22,8 962.* (December 29, 2001)
20. ↑ *Alvo do Matador era* Os Policiais, *Diario do Recife* (December 28, 2001)
21. ↑ *Destino Ceifado numa Manhã de Carnaval*, *Diario do Recife* (December 30, 2001)
22. ↑ *Memorial de Lembrança*, *Jornal o Parana* (March 30, 2003)
23. ↑ *Novo Hospital é criado*, *Diario do Recife*, (January 21, 2002)
24. ↑ *Chacinador volta a casa*, *Diario do Recife* (August 10, 2003)
25. ↑ *Irmão de matador se mata em casa*, *Diario do Recife* (May 7, 2004)
26. ↑ *Filme sobre chacina é lançado*, *Diario do Recife* (April 4, 2009)