A horrific knife attack in the South American capital of Paramaribo has left nine people dead, including five children, in a tragedy that has shocked the nation of Suriname.
A Father's Deadly Rampage
The incident occurred on Sunday in and around the suspect's home in the Hadji Iding Soemitaweg neighbourhood of the Commewijne district. According to local police, the man used a sharp object to kill four adults and five children at the residence. Four of the young victims were his own children.
Local media, which spoke to neighbours at the scene, reported the suspect had been suffering from mental health issues. The attack is believed to have been triggered by a telephone argument with his wife. In a particularly brutal detail, reports indicate he stabbed his 11-year-old daughter 44 times in the family's kitchen.
Police Response and Injuries
Officers arriving at the scene were forced to open fire after the suspect attacked them with the weapon. The man was shot in the leg and was subsequently hospitalised under police guard. Authorities have not yet released his identity.
In addition to the nine fatalities, the attack left a sixth child and another adult with serious injuries. Both were rushed to hospital for emergency treatment. Police stated that further details regarding the precise circumstances of the attack would follow.
National Mourning and Presidential Response
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief across Suriname. President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons addressed the nation via a statement posted on her official Facebook page.
'At a time when family and friends should stand together and support one another, we are faced with the harsh reality that there is another side to the world,' she wrote. The President described the act as 'a father who takes the lives of his own children and, in the process, kills his neighbours as well.'
She extended her wishes for strength, courage, and comfort to all those mourning during what she called an 'unimaginably difficult time.' The community in Paramaribo's Commewijne district is now left to grapple with the devastating aftermath of one of the most severe incidents of domestic violence the country has witnessed.
