SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) 鈥� President said Monday that his administration will tighten security measures at Chile’s schools, following two incidents involving weapons and amid growing concern about school violence in the South American country.
The announcement follows a deadly attack Friday that left one dead and four wounded. The pledge also came on the same day that another student was detained while attempting to enter a school with a loaded firearm.
鈥淲e are going to have to take certain measures to protect our students,” Kast said at an event at a school in the capital, Santiago. “These measures, which were previously met with strong resistance, now need to be viewed differently. Society has changed.鈥�
Last Friday, an 18-year-old student carried out in northern Chile, killing a 59-year-old school inspector and stabbing four other people, including another staff member and three students.
One of the victims remains hospitalized in critical condition, while the attacker remains in custody.
The attack is considered one of the worst cases of school violence in Chile.
Kast, leader of the Chilean far right who , said that 鈥渢he events that shock us all continue to occur,鈥� referring to Monday鈥檚 incident, when a 15-year-old tried to enter a school carrying a loaded gun.
鈥淭oday, once again, a student was found in a school with an object capable of harming other children,鈥� he said.
Kast announced that his government will seek to implement 鈥渕easures for greater control over access to schools,鈥� without providing further details.
Education Minister Mar铆a Paz Arzola said that her office is drafting a bill that would allow teachers to inspect students鈥� backpacks. She also said that the government will work to expedite the implementation of metal detectors at schools.
The teenager who was arrested by the police on Monday had tried to enter a school in the city of Curic贸, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Santiago, with a gun and ammunition tucked into his waistband.
鈥淧olice arrived at the scene鈥� they detained the minor, the weapon was seized, and they proceeded with the arrest,鈥� Maj. Juan D铆az Serrano, of Chile’s police force, told reporters, adding that the student did not make any threats and did not 鈥減ull out the weapon to intimidate any staff member or classmate.鈥�
While armed attacks remain rare in Chile, the nation鈥檚 high schools and universities have a storied history of activism. During the of 2011 and 2019, students adopted a confrontational stance against the political and business elite to demand systemic reforms.
In late 2024, more than caused by homemade firebombs intended for use during a student protest in Santiago. In May, three students were shot and wounded during a shooting inside a school in the B铆o B铆o region, in what authorities described as the first school shooting in Chile.
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