A man was shot and killed by police when he tried to entere the Brazil Missionary Training Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Wednesday morning.
SALT LAKE CITY – A knife-wielding man was shot and killed by police as he entered the Brazil Missionary Training Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Wednesday morning.
Nei Garcia, Brazil Area director of public affairs, said early Wednesday morning, February 5, an individual armed with a knife entered the missionary training center in São Paulo, Brazil.
“Security guards were able to detain the man near the reception desk until police arrived,” Garcia said. “At some point, when the intruder attempted to attack police, he was shot and killed by police.”
She said none of the missionaries or MTC staff were harmed during this incident and the church was trying to inform the families of the missionaries and staff.
“We are working closely with local authorities and are grateful for their efforts to respond and investigate,” she said. “We will also provide missionaries and staff with any needed support.”
She said they were grateful for the prayers and support that have been offered at this time, both for the missionaries and the family of the individual who was killed.
The Brazilian MTC serves missionaries going to South America, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Angola and is located in Casa Verde district of northern Sao Paulo.
The South American training center has been operating since the late 1970s and the seven-building campus has a capacity of 626 and trained 4,068 in 2018.
Brazil has more than a million members, the world’s third-largest LDS church population, after the United States and Mexico.
As of October 2018, The Church reported Brazil had 1,383,799 members in 268 stakes and 40 districts, 2,089 Congregations (1,651 wards and 438 branches), some 34 missions and six temples in Brazil.