Fabiano Kipper Mai was born in 2002 and raised in the small town of Saudades, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. At the time of the crime, he was only 18 years old. According to authorities and media sources, he had no criminal history prior to the massacre. His background appeared uneventful, with no known history of violence or disciplinary issues.

However, after the attack, psychological evaluations revealed that Fabiano suffered from undifferentiated schizophrenia, a chronic and severe mental disorder. Although one expert report confirmed he was mentally ill and required hospitalization, an earlier evaluation had concluded that he fully understood the nature and criminality of his actions.

In the days before the attack, investigators learned that Fabiano attempted to acquire firearms, but failing to do so, he obtained a katana-style blade instead.

On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at approximately 9:50 a.m. local time, Fabiano Kipper Mai rode his bicycle to the Aquarela Daycare Center in Saudades, a quiet town in southern Brazil. Armed with a katana-style sword, he entered the daycare and began his attack by stabbing 30-year-old teacher Keli Adriane Aniecevski. Although severely wounded, she attempted to flee into a classroom to alert others, where she collapsed and died.

Inside the classroom were four children and a 20-year-old staff member, Mirla Amanda Renner Costa. Fabiano followed and viciously attacked the children and staffer. Two of the toddlers, Sarah Luiza Mahle Sehn (19 months) and Murilo Massing (21 months), were killed on the spot, along with the teacher. Another child, Anna Bela Fernandes de Barros (20 months), and Mirla Amanda Renner Costa succumbed to their injuries at the hospital shortly after the attack.

A sixth child, Henrique Hübler, also aged 20 months, was seriously injured. He required surgery and was placed in the ICU, but miraculously survived. His rescue was credited to Aline Biazebetti, a 27-year-old educational agent and neighbor, who rushed into the daycare during the attack, grabbed the injured child, and drove him to the hospital herself.

During the chaos, female staff members bravely shielded children and prevented Fabiano from accessing other classrooms. According to Deputy Jerônimo Ferreira, both teacher Keli and staffer Mirla acted heroically in slowing the attacker down, likely preventing a greater tragedy. When authorities arrived, they found Fabiano on the ground, seriously injured after attempting to stab himself with the katana. He was taken into custody and hospitalized under guard in the nearby town of Pinhalzinho.

Following an investigation by the Civil Police, it was revealed that Fabiano had planned the attack in advance and purchased the katana just five days before the massacre. Investigators also confirmed that his motive was rooted in a deep hatred for humanity, not personal revenge. On November 25, 2021, he was transferred to a psychiatric custody hospital in Florianópolis after a court-ordered evaluation found he required mental health treatment. However, this did not absolve him of legal responsibility.

On August 10, 2023, a Brazilian court found Fabiano Kipper Mai guilty and sentenced him to 329 years and 4 months in prison. The sentence included the murders of five victims, the attempted murder of an injured child, and 14 additional attempted murders. The judge also ordered that compensation be paid to each victim’s family, including the survivors.