A lawyer allegedly shot a pensioner over 30 times during a petty row about an unleashed dog.
Manoel de Oliveira Pepino died after being gunned down in the “Wild West” style shootout on Saturday (20 Apr) night.
The 73-year-old had been sitting in a square in front of his house with his wife, Marília Pepino, and their pet pooch, Lobo.
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The dog was unleashed and unmuzzled, as its owners considered it docile.
A row broke out when the couple’s dog and Luis Hormindo França da Costa’s pet sniffed each other.
Da Costa, 33, said he had previously warned the couple about not keeping their pet on a leash.
Marília recalled: “Here in front of the house, we didn’t see the need for it.
“We went out at night to sit in the square with our dog, Lobo.
“Since he’s a friendly dog, we just sat there with him, and then this man came along with his dog on a leash.”
She claimed: “He stopped, and Lobo went to sniff his dog, and he started saying, ‘Hey old man, you’re going to regret this.
“I’ve already asked you to put your dog on a leash.’
“Then my husband said, ‘Your dog is aggressive. Not him, he’s gentle’.”
According to Marília, the argument escalated, with insults and threats traded.
Her husband then went into their home in Vitória, northeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to fetch a gun.
When he returned, the shootout happened.
When police officers arrived on the scene, they found Manoel lying dead on the ground with a firearm.
Da Costa, who was also carrying a firearm, approached them and claimed to them that Manoel had tried to kill him.
He added that the couple’s dog had previously attacked his pet.
Da Costa told the police that Manoel opened fire first.
But Marília said it was da Costa, who had been carrying his gun under his beltline, who fired the first shot.
Locals in their upscale neighbourhood said they heard more than 30 shots in total, as reported on Need to Know.
One bullet hit Lobo, who is being treated and another shattered one of the Pepino couple’s windows.
Both the police and friends and family of Manoel say the two men had argued about their pet dogs before.
Luis’s lawyer, Leonardo Gagno claims his client fired in self-defence after Manoel fired multiple times first.
He also claims Manoel had threatened da Costa about a month ago after Luis asked him to put his dog on a leash.
He claims that Lobo was shot accidentally and that his client is an authorised carrier with a registered firearm.
The Secretary of Public Security of Espírito Santo state, Eugênio Ricas, said the scene was like something from the “wild west.”
He said yesterday (21 Apr): “Yesterday, two men exchanged gunfire in Mata da Praia.
“It seems there were more than 30 shots, a wild west in the middle of Mata da Praia, and one of them ended up dead.”
Under municipal law, all animals must be kept on a leash in public spaces. Non-compliance is punishable with a fine.
The police seized both men’s weapons and da Costa was remanded into custody.
The Brazilian Bar Association has said it is “waiting for conclusions from the authorities before making official statements.”
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