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Leandro Lo at a fight in August 2021
Photo: ILAN PELLENBERG / AFP
Eight-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Leandro Lo has been shot dead.
According to his family's lawyer, the 33-year-old was shot in the head during an argument at a club in São Paulo on Sunday.
He died later from his injuries.
According to media reports, the alleged perpetrator is a police officer who was not on duty at the time.
He turned himself in to the authorities.
According to lawyer Iva Siqueira Júnior, Lo was attending a concert at Clube Siria with friends when the policeman, armed with a bottle, approached their table menacingly.
Lo quickly pushed the attacker to the ground to avoid a fight.
Then his friends would have helped the two and asked the attacker to calm down and go.
Fans from all over the world express their sadness
"At that very moment, the man turned around, pulled out a gun and shot Leandro in the head," Siqueira told AFP.
His victim was taken to the hospital, but was declared brain dead.
The 30-year-old suspect was initially held in custody for 30 days, as reported by the newspaper "Folha de São Paulo".
Jiu-Jitsu fans from all over the world expressed their grief over the brutal death of the exceptional talent on the Internet.
Lo won Brazilian International Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world titles in five different weight classes between 2012 and 2022 – a record.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a modification of the Japanese martial arts Judo and Jiu-Jitsu.
It developed in the 20th century and plays an important role in all martial arts competitions.
bam/AFP