A Brazilian gunman's deadly rampage at a Rio de Janeiro public school left 11 children dead and sent shockwaves throughout the South American nation, which had never seen a tragedy of this nature before.
As the Associated Press is reporting, at least other 18 people, mostly Tasso de Oliveira students, were injured and taken to local hospitals, where at least four remained in grave condition. The culprit is thought to be a former student, who also died.
It was a grisly reminder that schools, colleges and universities across the world have been the scenes of some horrific shootings in recent years. Not surprisingly, the case has drawn immediate comparisons to the 1999 Columbine High School tragedy, in which 13 people died, as well as similar shootings in Finland and Germany.
View a timeline of recent school tragedies around the world below:
School Shootings Around The World
April 7, 2011(01 of08)
Open Image ModalWellington Menezes Oliveira, 24, opens fire inside the Tasso da Silveira school in Realengo near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing 12 people before taking his own life. Oliveira is believed to be a former student. (credit:Getty )
September 23, 2008(02 of08)
Open Image ModalMatti Juhani Saari, 22, kills nine students and a teacher at the Kauhajoki School of Hospitality in Finland before turning the gun on himself. (credit:Getty )
February 14, 2008(03 of08)
Open Image ModalStephen Kazmierczak, 27, opens fire in a crowded lecture hall at Northern Illinois University, killing five students and injuring 18 others before committing suicide. (credit:Getty )
November 7, 2007(04 of08)
Open Image ModalEighteen-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen kills seven fellow students and a teacher at Jokela High School in Tuusula, Finland before shooting himself. (credit:Getty )
April 16, 2007(05 of08)
Open Image ModalStudent Cho Seung-hui, 23, fatally shoots 32 people at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, then kills himself in the deadliest gun rampage in U.S. history. (credit:Getty )
November 20, 2006(06 of08)
Open Image ModalExpelled student Sebastian Bosse, 18, kills 14 teachers, two students and a policeman during a gun rampage at his former high school in Emsdetten, Germany. He then takes his own life. (credit:Getty )
April 20, 1999(07 of08)
Open Image ModalStudents Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, kill 12 students and a teacher, and wound 26 other people before taking their own lives in a carefully planned attack on Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. (credit:Getty )
March 13, 1996(08 of08)
Open Image ModalThomas Hamilton, 43, kills 16 kindergarten children and their teacher during a three-minute shooting spree in a primary school gymnasium before committing suicide. (credit:Getty )