Shock in Argentina: 13-year-old student dies and eight others wounded in school shooting
The attack took place at the Mariano Moreno school, located in the town of San Cristobal, a city of approximately 16,000 inhabitants.
(VOZ / Christian Camacho)
A 13-year-old student died and at least eight people were injured Monday after a shooting occurred at a school in the province of Santa Fe, in an event that has generated a deep shock throughout Argentina, where such episodes are rare.
The attack took place at the Mariano Moreno school, located in the town of San Cristobal, a city of approximately 16,000 inhabitants. According to provincial authorities, the alleged assailant, a 15-year-old student, opened fire inside the establishment while the students were preparing for the start of the school day.
Santa Fe's Minister of Justice and Security, Pablo Cococcioni, confirmed the death of the minor and expressed his sorrow for what happened. "It is a very, very sad and very shocking moment. We want to accompany first of all the family of the boy who lost his life today," he said at a press conference picked up by AFP.
The attacker: A 15-year-old student
The attacker was arrested shortly after the incident, a source from the provincial Security Ministry confirmed. According to authorities, the young man had no prior record and no previous interventions had been recorded during his school career. The minister also pointed out that the teenager was going through "a very complex intra-family situation in the private sphere," and clarified that, so far, there are no indications that the incident is related to conflicts within the school.
As for the injured, six students were treated at the local hospital with minor injuries sustained during the evacuation and are out of danger. Two other students, aged 13 and 15, were taken to the Regional Hospital of Rafaela for medical evaluation; one of them remained in serious but stable condition.
Scenes of panic, a shotgun and classes suspended
According to local authorities, the weapon used was "presumably a shotgun," although the investigation is still ongoing. Classes were suspended and students sent home.
"It is something totally out of the ordinary, that we never expected"
Argentina does not often record shootings in educational centers. Among the most remembered antecedents are those that occurred in 2000 in Rafael Calzada, with one fatality, and in 2004 in Carmen de Patagones, where three people died.
"These events are very difficult to explain, and even more so when they happen in a school environment. It is something totally out of the ordinary, which we never expected," said Cococcioni.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the attack while the educational community and the country as a whole try to absorb the impact of what has happened.
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