A horrific knife attack in the small South American nation of Suriname has left a community in mourning after a domestic dispute escalated into a mass killing. The incident, which occurred in the Richelieu area of the Commewijne district approximately 25 kilometers east of the capital Paramaribo, resulted in nine fatalities, including five children.
According to police reports and eyewitness accounts, the tragedy unfolded following a heated telephone argument between a 43-year-old male suspect and his estranged wife. The confrontation reportedly intensified when the woman informed the man that she would not be collecting their children personally but would instead send another individual to retrieve them.
Enraged by this development, the suspect initiated a violent rampage, first targeting his own four children with a knife before turning his aggression toward neighbors who attempted to intervene. The victims included the attacker’s children and several adult neighbors, with a neighbor’s child also among those killed. Local media indicated that the attacks occurred across multiple residential properties.
Suriname’s Police Corps confirmed that responding officers encountered an actively violent suspect who attempted to attack them upon their arrival. During the subsequent apprehension, the suspect sustained injuries and was transported to a medical facility where he remains under guard while receiving treatment.
Additionally, a sixth child and another adult suffered serious injuries during the attack and are currently receiving medical care at a hospital in Paramaribo.
Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons addressed the tragedy on her official Facebook page, expressing profound grief over the incident. Writing in Dutch, the country’s official language, the president extended her condolences to the bereaved families, wishing them “strength, resilience, and comfort in this unimaginably difficult time.”
The violence represents a particularly shocking event for Suriname, which maintains the smallest population of any independent South American nation at approximately 600,000 residents. Historically recognized for having one of the region’s lowest homicide rates, the country has recently experienced a concerning surge in violent crime. Data compiled by the think tank Insight Crime indicates Suriname’s murder rate climbed significantly in 2024, reaching 30 homicides per 100,000 residents.