At least 10 children were killed and 17 other people wounded when an unknown gunman opened fire at a school in western Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, Brazilian healthcare authorities said.
Some reports said nine boys and one girl were killed, while others put the number of the victims at 13 and those injured at about 30. Those wounded have been reportedly admitted to hospital.
The shooting occurred at about 8:00 a.m. local time (11:00 GMT), witnesses said. The local Globo website quoted police spokesman Ibis Pereira as saying the gunmen shot himself dead following the attack.
A school teacher said the attacker was the father of one of the students, Globo said, while police identified the gunman as a 23-year-old former student of the school. Police found a letter in which the attacker reportedly explains his motives.
Brazilian Education Minister Fernando Haddad described the accident as an "unprecedented tragedy" in the country's history.
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 7 (RIA Novosti)
