Genildo Ferreira de França, born in 1970 in Santo Antônio dos Barreiros (now Santo Antônio do Potengi), Brazil, was a former military man and local bar owner whose personal and emotional breakdown led to one of the most notorious killing sprees in Brazilian history.

Ferreira grew up in a modest household and later served in the 7th Battalion of Combat Engineers (7º Batalhão de Engenharia de Combate) in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. His time in the military honed his proficiency with firearms — he was known to be an excellent marksman — and gave him a deep familiarity with tactical movement and weapon handling. After his military discharge in January 1990, Ferreira lived a relatively quiet life, operating a small grocery business and later a bar.

Despite his disciplined background, those close to Ferreira described him as volatile and unpredictable, prone to sudden outbursts of rage and threats of violence. His downward spiral began in 1995, when he witnessed his young son, Iuri, being fatally run over by a taxi. The driver responsible was never punished, an event that reportedly pushed Ferreira into profound bitterness and resentment. Friends and relatives said that after the tragedy, Ferreira’s personality darkened; he became more aggressive, paranoid, and obsessed with the idea of revenge.

Later that same year, his marriage to Mônica Carlos de França began to collapse. Following a temporary separation, Mônica allegedly spread a rumor claiming that Ferreira was homosexual, telling her relatives that she had caught him in bed with another man, Edilson Carlos do Nascimento. The rumor rapidly circulated throughout the small community of Santo Antônio do Potengi, humiliating Ferreira and damaging his reputation. His father-in-law, Baltazar Jorge de Sá, was among those who mocked him, further deepening his sense of betrayal and rage.

Ferreira’s obsession with the slander grew, and he repeatedly threatened to kill his wife, her family, and anyone who insulted him. His behavior became increasingly erratic — at one point he ordered a coffin for himself and invited friends to “dig his grave,” an act they dismissed as a morbid joke. Police were called, and officers confiscated several weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from his home. Nevertheless, he continued to acquire firearms through private means.

By 1997, Ferreira’s financial situation had worsened. His bar, Iuri’s Bar, named after his late son, had gained an unsavory reputation as a drug den and was rumored to cater to homosexual clientele — a claim that further enraged him. The bar went bankrupt two months before the murders, and Ferreira began preparing for what he referred to as his “trip.” He purchased ammunition, sold his equipment, and openly told acquaintances that “people who wronged me will get what they deserve.”

His girlfriend, 16-year-old Valdenice Ribeiro da Silva, later testified that Ferreira spent the final weeks before the murders meticulously planning his revenge. He drew up a list of nearly 20 people he intended to kill — mostly relatives, acquaintances, and townspeople who had spread rumors or owed him money. Da Silva said Ferreira warned her not to tell anyone about his plan, threatening to kill her if she did.

Ferreira’s rampage began in the late afternoon of May 21, 1997, when he ambushed and killed Francisco Marques Carneiro, a taxi driver and the man who had begun dating his ex-wife. He shot Carneiro in the forehead, loaded the body into his Fiat Palio, and drove to collect his friend Francisco de Assis Ramos dos Santos, whom he coerced into accompanying him, along with his girlfriend Valdenice da Silva.

Over the next 24 hours, Ferreira moved methodically through the region, executing those he held grudges against. His first major stop was at the home of his father-in-law, Baltazar Jorge de Sá, whom he lured under the pretense of delivering a cow. There, in a secluded area, he forced De Sá and another man, Elias dos Anjos Pimenta, to kneel before shooting both in the head.

He then targeted those he accused of spreading the homosexuality rumor, including João Maria Silva de Lima, Manoel Brito Marcolino, and Edilson Carlos do Nascimento. Witnesses later reported that Ferreira taunted Nascimento before killing him, shouting: “Now I want to see you saying that you screwed me!”

By midnight, Ferreira had murdered seven people, dumping several bodies in wooded areas outside of Santo Antônio do Potengi.

At around 11:00 p.m., he returned home and confronted his wife, Mônica, shooting her three times in front of her brother. He dictated a final letter to his girlfriend Valdenice, left it beside Mônica’s body, and handed their eight-month-old son, Mateus, to his cousin, claiming Mônica was ill.

The next morning, May 22, 1997, Ferreira continued his rampage. He visited his parents’ home, threatening to kill them to “spare them from shame,” but was interrupted by military police sergeant Francisco de Assis Bezerra and soldier Ilton de Lima Ciríaco, who had been searching for him. Ferreira shot and killed Bezerra instantly and wounded Ciríaco in the shoulder before fleeing.

He proceeded to murder his mother-in-law, Tereza Carlos Ribeiro, and his ex-wife Maria Valdete Rafael da Costa along with her mother Francisca Neide Rafael da Costa, shooting them at close range.

Still armed and wearing a camouflage vest, Ferreira roamed the streets, killing random targets including truck driver Fernando Correia de Souza and neighbor Flávio Silva de Oliveira, who was mute and unable to respond to Ferreira’s accusations.

By 7:30 a.m., Ferreira murdered Antônio Josemberg Campelo, a messenger who had previously questioned his masculinity. Police estimates suggest that over 120 officers were pursuing him across Santo Antônio do Potengi and nearby rural zones. Ferreira evaded capture for several hours by hiding in homes, schools, and fields, threatening any civilians who crossed his path.

At 12:10 p.m., police cornered him in a banana plantation near a ceramic factory, just two kilometers from his home. Ferreira released Valdenice and his young daughter before turning his revolver on himself, shooting himself in the chest. Even after his self-inflicted wound, he exchanged gunfire with officers before succumbing to his injuries. Officers later fired additional shots into his body, reportedly disfiguring his head.