In a poignant display of solidarity, friends and college classmates of Raquel Sales Feitosa gathered to pay their final respects. The 37-year-old school inspector tragically lost her life during a shooting attack at Instituto São José in Rio Branco, Acre. Her peers, fellow students from her nursing program, attended the funeral service wearing their white lab coats as a symbolic tribute to their friend and colleague.
Raquel was in the final stages of her nursing degree at Unip, working on her final course project. Her friend and classmate, Valéria Mendes, shared that Raquel had met with their project group just the night before the attack to discuss their work. Their group, which included Raquel's sister Raiane and another friend Karem, was focused on a project about hand hygiene. Valéria recalled Raquel's dream was to finish her studies, leave her job in education, and build a career in nursing.
The attack on Tuesday left four people shot. Alongside Raquel, who did not survive, three others were injured: 53-year-old Alzenir Pereira da Silva, an 11-year-old student, and another school employee. The injured victims were transported to a local hospital and were discharged after receiving treatment on the same day. Authorities confirmed the suspect is a 13-year-old student at the school who entered the building armed and was apprehended following the shooting. The firearm used belonged to the suspect's stepfather.
Despite a demanding schedule balancing work and her studies, friends remembered Raquel as a perpetually cheerful and kind-hearted person. Valéria emphasized that Raquel never had a bad day and was always smiling. Their group of friends, bonded since the beginning of their college journey, shared a common goal: to all graduate together and support one another through the challenges.
The funeral service was held at the chapel of the São João Batista Funeral Home, with the burial scheduled for the afternoon at the Morada da Paz Cemetery. The incident has prompted a significant response, with the state and municipal governments suspending classes and the Ministry of Education announcing it would send specialists to Acre. Based on reporting from g1.