Thieves wielding grenades and shooting sow panic in Copacabana

An attempted robbery at a store in Copacabana caused panic in several streets of the most famous district of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Friday after thieves and police exchanged gunfire, leaving one of the criminals and a popular person injured. One of the attackers, holding a grenade in his hand, provoked a mass reaction of fear as he fled, threatening several times to throw an explosive device.

The attempted robbery took place on Rua Barata Ribeiro, one of the main arteries of the area, and it was there that the first shooting took place.

Police, called by people who noticed the criminals’ actions, arrived quickly and a shootout began, throwing residents of the busy street into despair.

Realising they would not be able to carry out the robbery, the two criminals fled down Rua Toneleiro, another historic street in the southern part of the city, one of them holding a grenade.

At the intersection with the Marechal Mascarenhas de Moraes street, a new clash between criminals and police took place, causing new scenes of despair among the people caught in the crossfire.

One of the fugitives was shot and arrested by the police, but the other one, the one with the grenade in his hand, managed to escape and further increased the panic among residents and drivers by threatening to throw explosives at them.

Traders quickly closed their doors and people walking along Rua Toneleiro tried to protect themselves as best they could, namely by seeking shelter in nearby buildings and restaurants. Drivers tried to get out of the line of fire on the wrong side of the road, causing great chaos in the entire area.