Brazilian Official Shoots His Two Sons, Takes His Own Life After Discovering Wife’s Alleged Cheating

Brazil Official Shoots Two Sons Before Taking Own Life Over Wife’s Alleged Infidelity

A Brazilian municipal official shot his two young sons before taking his own life after allegedly discovering that his wife was cheating on him, in a tragedy that has shaken the city of Itumbiara in the state of Goiás.

The quiet residential Condomínio Paraíso in Itumbiara became a house of horrors just before midnight on February 11, 2026. Residents frantically dialled emergency services after hearing a volley of gunshots echo from inside an apartment.

When police forcibly entered the home, they discovered the lifeless body of Thales Naves Alves Machado, 40, the Secretary of Government for the municipality. A registered Glock pistol rested on his chest. But the true horror was waiting nearby.

His eldest son, Miguel, 12, lay dead at the scene, having suffered fatal gunshot wounds. His younger brother, Benício, 8, was found critically injured and rushed to Hospital Estadual de Itumbiara for emergency surgery. Despite the desperate efforts of medical staff, the young boy succumbed to his injuries two days later, passing away on February 13.

A Suspicion Confirmed By Surveillance

The tragedy was not a moment of sudden madness but the culmination of a calculated investigation by the official himself. According to local reports, Machado had been consumed by suspicion regarding his wife, Sarah Tinoco Araújo, the daughter of Mayor Dione Araújo. Rather than confronting her directly, he hired a private detective to surveil her movements. The detective allegedly provided him with video evidence confirming that his wife was involved with another man while she was reportedly traveling in São Paulo.

“He received the footage and that was the breaking point,” a source close to the investigation told local media. “It confirmed his worst fears, and he began planning immediately.”

Hours before pulling the trigger, Machado posted a haunting farewell on social media. One video showed his son practicing jiu-jitsu, while another depicted a child drawing peacefully on his father’s lap. The caption, written in Portuguese, read: “May God always bless my sons, Daddy loves you so much.”

In another post, which was rapidly deleted and whose authenticity has not been independently verified by all outlets, the official stated that he was acting “with a broken heart” and directly accused his wife of betrayal. Investigators also noted a strong smell of gasoline in the flat, leading them to believe Machado may have intended to burn the apartment to the ground before abandoning the plan.

A City In Mourning And An Online Firestorm

Machado was not an anonymous figure. An agronomist and business administrator, he had held the powerful position of Secretary of Government since 2021, earning approximately R$19,000 (approx R61,000) per month. For 15 years, his marriage to the mayor’s daughter appeared stable in public. The brutality of the act has sent shockwaves through the political heart of Goiás. City Hall declared three days of official mourning, flags were lowered to half-mast, and Governor Ronaldo Caiado visited the city, calling the crime “a severe blow to Goiás society.”

However, outside the corridors of power, social media erupted. The reactions have been intensely divided. Many users express unbridled rage toward Machado.

“Betrayal does not justify killing innocent children. They had no fault,” one user posted on X, a sentiment that was widely shared and liked.

Another comment read:

“Killing the kids to punish the mother is pure cowardice.”

Conversely, a disturbing segment of the online discourse has turned its venom toward the grieving mother. Some posts have attempted to rationalize the violence by blaming her alleged infidelity. Sarah has since released an open letter describing her living nightmare.

“I am living the worst nightmare a mother can face. I admit to marital mistakes, but nothing explains the barbarity committed against my innocent sons,” she wrote, firmly rejecting any attempt to justify the killings.

Reports indicate that Sarah required a police escort to attend her own children’s funeral after receiving a barrage of online threats.