In a horrific act of violence that has shocked the small South American nation, nine people—five of them children—were stabbed to death on the outskirts of Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Another adult and a child were seriously injured in the attack, which occurred on Saturday night.
According to police, officers responded to a call at a residence on a road leading out of the capital. At the scene, they apprehended a male suspect after shooting him in the leg to subdue him. The suspect was also transported to the hospital and remains under police guard.
Local media reports, citing officials and residents, suggest the man may have been suffering from mental health issues. In a somber statement, Suriname's President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons revealed the devastating personal toll, indicating that the suspect's own family and neighbours were among the victims.
"At a time when family and friends should be holding on to and supporting each other, we are confronted with the harsh reality that there is another side to the world," the President stated. She extended her wishes for strength and courage to the bereaved during this "unimaginably difficult time."
The incident is a stark anomaly for Suriname, which typically has one of the world's lowest rates of knife-related homicides. Police have stated that further details regarding the circumstances of the attack will be released as the investigation continues.
The tragedy has cast a pall over the nation, a country of roughly 600,000 people that, despite a history of political instability since gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1975, is unaccustomed to violence of this scale and nature within its communities.
0 Comments