Nine people, including five children, were stabbed to death on the outskirts of Suriname’s capital Paramaribo, police said.
Another adult and child were taken to hospital with serious injuries in the attack, city police said in a statement.
Officers were called to an address on a road out of the capital on Saturday night, where they detained a male suspect after shooting him in the leg. This man was also taken to the hospital, receiving treatment, and is under police guard.
Local media, citing officials and residents, reported that the man was suffering from mental health problems, and the South American country’s president said his family and neighbors were among the victims.
“At a time when families and friends need to hold on to each other and support each other, we are faced with the harsh reality that there is another side to the world,” Jennifer Geerlings-Simons said in a statement.
“I hope this will provide great strength, courage, and comfort to all the bereaved families during this unimaginably difficult time.”
The police said that they plan to announce further details about the incident at a later date.
Incidents like this are relatively rare, as Suriname has one of the lowest stabbing death rates in the country.
However, since gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1975, it has experienced several coups and civil wars.
