An influencer was shot in the head by a stray bullet during a gang shootout.
Bárbara Elisa Yabeta Borges was travelling in a cab to meet her mother for lunch when tragedy struck.
The 28-year-old, who only got married last year, was planning on becoming a mother for the first time.
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She was killed during a shootout on the Yellow Line highway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday (31 Oct).
Two rival gangs were reportedly involved in a gunfight on the motorway when the stray bullet hit the victim.
Bárbara, affectionately known as Barbie, was sitting in the backseat of the Uber cab when the bullet struck her head.
The driver rushed her to a nearby hospital, but doctors could do nothing to save the young woman’s life.
One gang member was also shot and underwent surgery at a local hospital.
Bárbara, a native of Rio de Janeiro, had nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram.
She had just launched her own bikini collection and was planning to start a family with her husband.
In her last post just hours before she was killed, she said: “Most of the things we lose, we can recover, but people, we can’t.
“If something has value, it takes a piece of us with it when it goes away.
“And believe me, it’s too expensive to lose what is priceless.”
She was also passionate about travel.
On social media, she posted snaps of her recent trip to New York and Orlando in the US.
She also participated in running races and led a healthy lifestyle, as reported by Need To Know.
Bárbara, who had a degree in Business Administration, also worked with the bank Itaú.
Close friend Juliana Ferreira said: “She was a very bright person, a person with a lot of good energy.
“She was very upbeat, she brightened any room she was in.
“Bárbara never had a bad time, you know?
“She was always smiling, offering a word of support, hugging us.
“It’s very difficult because we ask ourselves ‘why her?’
“I’ve never lost someone so abruptly.
“It’s very difficult to organise my thoughts, I already miss her terribly.”
Singer Marvvila lamented on social media: “You were so radiant, princess.
“You didn’t deserve this. Rest in peace.”
The tragedy occurred in the same week as the deadliest police operation in Rio’s history.
In a security operation against the Comando Vermelho gang, 121 people were left dead, including four police officers.
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