Knife attack in Suriname kills at least 9 people, including children, police say

A stabbing attack near Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, killed at least nine people, including five children, police said on Sunday.

Authorities said the victims included the attacker’s children and neighbors who came to their aid. Local media reported that the victims were in several homes.

The attack took place in Richelieu, in the Commewijne district, about 25 kilometers east of Paramaribo.

In a statement released on Sunday, Suriname police said the suspect attempted to attack officers who arrived at the scene and was injured during his arrest. He is now recovering in 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, Suriname President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons reacted to the news, saying the attacker had cost the lives of her children and neighbors.

“I wish all the bereaved a lot of strength, resilience and comfort during this incredibly difficult time,” Geerlings-Simons wrote in Dutch, the country’s official language.

Suriname, a former Dutch colony, is the smallest independent nation in South America, with a population of around 600,000. The murder rate there is traditionally one of the lowest in the region. But the murder rate climbed in 2024 to 30 homicides per 100,000 people, according to data collected by the think tank Insight Crime.