Six toddlers and a nursery school teacher have died after a fired security guard reportedly sprayed them with alcohol and then set them ablaze in Brazil on Thursday.

The disgruntled guard, who has been identified as 50-year-old Damiao Soares dos Santos, lit himself on fire at the scene and later died from self-inflicted injuries.

Santos had been an employee at Gente Inocente, or “Innocent People,” nursery school in the small town of Janauba for about eight years and had been suffering from mental health problems since 2014, according to the Telegraph.

Although authorities are still investigating the reason behind the attack, it has been reported that Santos was dismissed from his position after returning from a period of leave last month.

On October 5, Santos handed in his medical certificate to school officials and then he entered the classroom where he started the fire.

Victim Juan Miguel Soares Silva’s mother said to O Globo newspaper that she had considered enrolling her 4-year-old son in a different nursery school just days before the attack that claimed her young son’s life.

“We are about to move to a different neighborhood,” Jane Kelly da Silva Soares said. “I woke up early to drop him at the nursery. When I saw him again he was already dead in hospital.”

The BBC reported that at least 25 people, mostly children aged four and five, are currently being treated for burns in local hospitals.

Brazillian President Michael Temer tweeted to express his sympathy to the victims’ families, writing, “I am deeply saddened by this tragedy involving children in Janauba and I want to express my solidarity with the families.”

“As a father, I can imagine that this must be an extremely difficult loss,” he added. “We hope that these things don’t repeat themselves in Brazil.”

The mayor of Janauba has declared a seven day mourning period for the nation to honor those who have died.

Mother Of 2-Year-Old Charged With Child Neglect

The mother of the missing toddler, William Odom who was found after a seven-hour search Tuesday has been charged with misdemeanor child neglect.

The Harrison County Sheriff, Troy Peterson said that investigators determined Chelsea Noble, 21, was not properly supervising her son, William Odom, which allowed him to go missing from their home in Saucier.

William was found safe after an extensive search which involved several agencies.

WLOX News Now interviewed a visibly emotional Noble after William was found.

William’s mother in tears moments after learning her son was safe. The child is being checked out for injuries. pic.twitter.com/3hHkbaeG2q

— Hugh Keeton (@HughKeeton) October 3, 2017

Peterson said that the Mississippi Department of Human Services took custody of Noble’s children, including William, when she was arrested Wednesday.

Noble was later booked into the Harrison County jail on a $1,500 bond.

 

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