Tragedy struck near Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo, where a knife attack claimed the lives of at least nine individuals, five of whom were children.

Authorities in this South American nation, nestled between Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, reported that among the deceased were four children of the alleged attacker, alongside neighbors who rushed to assist during the incident.

Sadly, the violence also claimed the life of a neighbor’s child. Reports from local media indicated that the victims were found across several homes, painting a grim picture of the attack’s reach.

Unfolding in the district of Commewijne, specifically in Richelieu, approximately 25 kilometers east of Paramaribo, the attack shocked the community.

According to neighbors, the horrifying events were triggered by a phone argument between the 43-year-old suspect and his estranged wife, precipitating the brutal assault.

The neighbours said that after the suspect’s wife said she would not pick up the children, but would instead send someone else for them, the suspect attacked his kids with a knife and also went after neighbours in their homes.

In a statement on Sunday (Monday AEST), Suriname’s Police Corps said the suspect attempted to attack police officers who arrived on the scene and he was injured during his arrest.

He is now recovering in a hospital.

Police said a sixth child and another adult were seriously injured in the attack and were being treated at a hospital in Paramaribo.

On her Facebook page, Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons reacted to the news, saying the attacker took the life of his children and his neighbours.

“I wish all the bereaved much strength, resilience, and comfort in this unimaginably difficult time,” Geerlings-Simons wrote in Dutch, the nation’s official language.

Suriname, a former Dutch colony, is the smallest independent nation in South America, with a population of approximately 600,000 people.

It has traditionally had one of the lowest murder rates in the region.

But the murder rate spiked in 2024 to 30 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to data gathered by the think tank Insight Crime.