Passenger killed by a stray bullet inside a BRT bus in Rio, Brazil

Civil Police in Rio de Janeiro are investigating the origin of the gunfire that killed a 53-year-old man inside a BRT bus on Wednesday morning, September 30.

Flávio de Abreu Lira was shot while traveling between the Ventura and Asa Branca stations in the Barra Olímpica area of the city’s southwestern zone. The fire department was called to the Asa Branca station at 6:12 a.m. and found the victim already dead upon arrival.

According to a police statement, initial information indicates the shots were fired in a grouped or burst pattern, which does not match the typical actions of security forces. Investigators are examining the possibility that criminals fired the shots in an attempt to hinder a nearby police operation.

Forensic experts examined the scene and recovered a projectile that will undergo ballistics testing. The Capital Homicide Division is leading the probe to determine the source of the shot and identify those responsible.

At the time of the incident, Military Police were conducting an operation in the nearby Parque Dois Irmãos community in Curicica. The action, led by the 18th Military Police Battalion (Jacarepaguá), targeted members of the Comando Vermelho and militia groups involved in territorial disputes. Officers seized five rifles, a pistol, ammunition, seven radios, two explosive devices, a ballistic vest, and two cameras. Two vehicles with altered plates and chassis were also recovered, and two men were arrested. One of the detainees sustained minor injuries during a confrontation in a wooded area and was taken to Lourenço Jorge Municipal Hospital.

The operation came one day after a shooting attack near an access point to the Asa Branca community left a man dead. Police said they are also searching for suspects in that earlier crime.

Mobi-Rio, the BRT operator, expressed regret over the death and said the BRT Seguro security protocol was activated immediately. The Asa Branca station reopened after forensic work, and service continues normally.

With this death, the number of stray-bullet victims in the Rio Metropolitan Region in 2026 has risen to 74, according to the Fogo Cruzado Institute. Of those, 18 people have died and 56 have been injured.