Teens Open Fire in Brazil School, 3 Injured

A police officer collects evidence at the scene of a shooting, at a school, in Medianeira, Parana state, Brazil, Friday, Sept.28, 2018.

(Photo: AP)

Two teenage students opened fire at a school in southeastern Brazil on Friday, 28 September, leaving three students injured.

The shooting happened at the Joao Manoel Mondrone school in the city of Medianeira in Parana state.

In a statement, the state’s police department said the two 15-year-old students rushed into the school and shot fellow students at random. Police said the teenagers were armed with a .22-caliber pistol, ammunition and several homemade explosives.

Two students suffered light wounds to their legs and were released after being treated at a local hospital. One 18-year-old student was shot in the back near the spinal cord and was listed in serious condition, police said.

Police found the shooters hiding in a classroom and took them into custody. Cell phone video posted on the G1 news outlet showed students running out of the school when the shooting began.

Police Inspector Denis Zortea Merino told G1 that the shooters said they were victims of bullying.

One of them reportedly said he was humiliated and treated with contempt at school.

Brazil, Latin America's largest nation, has long struggled to curb violence. The country is notorious for having the highest number of homicides in the world, with a record 63,880 slain last year.

However, school shootings involving students are relatively rare.