In Sao Paulo, a tragic incident unfolded as a 16-year-old Brazilian boy, distraught over having his cell phone confiscated, fatally shot his parents and sister at their family residence, according to police reports on Wednesday.
The triple homicide occurred on Friday in Sao Paulo, but it wasn’t until Monday that authorities were alerted, when the boy himself dialed the police and admitted to the crime, stated the local security ministry.
Chief investigator Roberto Afonso revealed that the teenager, who is adopted, became exceedingly frustrated after his parents took away his phone following a disagreement.
The boy confessed to investigators that he managed to access his father’s service gun, who was a municipal policeman, and shot him in the back. He then proceeded upstairs and fatally shot his 16-year-old sister in the face. Upon his mother’s return home several hours later, he used the same weapon to end her life, as per the police statement.
The victims were identified as the father, aged 57, and the mother, aged 50, authorities confirmed.
“We need to ascertain whether this stemmed from frustration related to underlying psychological issues,” Afonso remarked in an interview with Brazilian network TV Record.
Furthermore, police are probing the possibility of any accomplices, including whether the teenager communicated with anyone over the phone, he added.
The teenager remained within the house alongside the three deceased bodies from Friday until early Monday, when he was apprehended. During this period, he even went to the gym and made a purchase at a bakery. Moreover, still consumed by anger on Saturday, he reportedly stabbed his mother’s lifeless body with a knife, Afonso disclosed.
Currently held at a juvenile detention center, the boy maintained a “calm” demeanor while discussing the crimes, described the investigator.
In Brazil, minor defendants are subject to special legislation that prohibits them from being tried as adults.
