Rio school massacre video shows months of planning
Just two days before a lone gunman walked into a Rio de Janeiro school and killed 12 students, he made a chilling video, outlining his plans for the massacre, while seeking to justify the crime he would soon commit.
Wellington Oliveira, a former student at the Tasso da Silveira school, last week walked into the building and began shooting students, killing 12 people before a policeman responding to calls for help shot Oliveira in the legs.
The former student then shot himself and died at the scene.
The tragedy rocked Rio de Janeiro and the wider Brazilian public. Although gun crime is prevalent in Brazil, school massacres, such as those seen in the US, are uncommon.
Now, a video has emerged that paints a chilling picture of the mindset of Oliveira in the days leading up to the massacre.
“The fight for which many brothers in the past have died, and I will die, is not exclusively for what is known as bullying,” he says in the video, speaking in a calm and emotionless voice. “Our fight is against cruel, cowardly people who take advantage of the kindness, the innocence, the weakness of people who are incapable of defending themselves.”
The video was released Tuesday night and aired on Globo TV, a second video, released Wednesday and aired nationally, is dated as far back as July, with Oliveira reading a prepared speech.
In the video dated July, Oliveira promises to exact revenge for himself and all others who have been “humiliated, attacked and disrespected, especially in schools, just for being different”.
Neighbours of Oliveira have said he was a quiet, introverted boy who kept to himself and was often on his computer, or doing work to do with computers.
A sibling, who asked to remain anonymous, told local newspapers his brother was "very alone, absent, very closed up".
Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday attended a mass outside the school, which saw over 2,000 people gathered to remember those killed. Many parents of the victims spoke or attempted to speak at the highly emotional gathering.
“This place has to become again a place where children can study in peace,” said the Archbishop.
The mass ended with the reciting of a prayer by all in attendance as police helicopters flew overhead, showering the area with red rose petals.
Source: Latin American News.net
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