A teenager allegedly shot his mum, dad, and toddler brother dead because his parents disapproved of his relationship on Fortnite.
The case first came to light on Tuesday (24 Jun), when the 14-year-old’s paternal grandmother went with him to the police station.
She told how she had been trying – unsuccessfully – to get in touch with the family members since Saturday (21 Jun).
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When quizzed, the teen claimed his three-year-old brother had choked on a glass shard and had been rushed to the hospital by their parents.
He claimed they had gone in a taxi and had failed to return.
Police began checking hospitals across Itaperuna – north-east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – but found no records of the toddler’s admission.
Officers searched the family home on Wednesday (25 Jun) morning and found bloodstains on the parents’ mattress.
They also found bloodied clothing with burn marks, and a foul stench led them to a water cistern outside the property.
Inside, they found the decomposing bodies of Antônio Carlos Teixeira, Ana Flávia de Oliveira Freitas Teixeira, and their toddler son.
Lead investigator Carlos Augusto Guimarães told local media: “The amount of blood was inconsistent with the domestic accident he had described to us.
“Once we found the bodies, he confessed to the crime. He said he shot his father and mother in the head, and his brother in the neck.
“When we asked why he killed the boy, he said it was to spare him the pain of losing their parents.”
It is believed the teen waited for his parents to fall asleep before taking his father’s legally owned gun from under their mattress.
He shot them as they slept and then mopped the floor to make it easier for him to drag their bodies outside to the cistern.
The gun, which he knew how to use because his father had taught him, was later found at his grandmother’s house.
She explained that she had found it at the family home and had removed it to prevent her grandson from accessing it.
Police believe she had no involvement in or knowledge of the crime, as reported by Need To Know.
Regarding the motive, the teen is believed to have been in an online relationship, via the game Fortnite, with a 15-year-old girl halfway across the country.
His parents disapproved of the relationship and had forbidden him from travelling to meet her.
Detectives also discovered that after the murders, the teen had searched on his phone: “How to claim FGTS from a deceased person.”
His father reportedly had 33,000 BRL (£4,382) in the severance indemnity fund.
Guimarães said: “During the forensic search, we found a travel bag packed and ready. Inside were the victims’ mobile phones.
“The teenager didn’t provide many details about the girlfriend, but said they met through online games.
“From what we’ve gathered, he was upset that his parents had banned him from travelling to Mato Grosso.”
The teen has been remanded into custody and will be charged with triple homicide with aggravating factors.
Guimarães said: “He was very matter-of-fact in explaining how he did it. He’s a cold boy, completely lacking remorse.
“We asked if he regretted it, and he said no – he’d do it all again. He answered quickly, constantly asserting his manhood.
“There was a hint of psychopathy. He may have premeditated everything, or he may just be very clever.”
His online girlfriend, whom he had reportedly been in contact with since he was eight and she was 10, has been questioned in the presence of her mother.
Epic Games, which makes Fortnite, has been approached for comment.
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