Gunman opens fire during Mass in Brazil cathedral, killing four

People gather outside the Campinas Cathedral after the shooting in Sao Paulo state, Brazil.

A gunman has shot and killed four people during Mass at a cathedral in southern Brazil before shooting himself at the altar.

He also shot and injured four others, all elderly worshippers, using a revolver and a .38 pistol in the attack at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Campinas, an industrial city 60 miles north of São Paulo.

The Security Secretariat for São Paulo said in a statement: “A man opened fire randomly on people inside until police intervened and shot at the gunman who then killed himself.” 

While mass shootings have relatively rare in Brazil, figures published earlier this year showed the country and the most murders of any in the world, with 63,880 homicides in 2017 of which 70 per cent were gun murders.

The Archdiocese of São Paulo offered “solidarity and prayers” on its Facebook page after the attack, which took place at the midday Mass.

In a statement, the archdiocese said: “In this holy time of advent, preparing the Christmas of Jesus Christ, Prince of peace, it is necessary for Christians to intensify prayer for peace, with concrete gestures of fraternity, reconciliation and love.”