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A police officer holds his weapon as he flies on a helicopter over the scene of the standoff. Leo Correa

Gunman shot dead by police after holding bus passengers hostage in Rio

The man boarded a bus in Rio de Janeiro earlier today.

LAST UPDATE | 20 Aug 2019

A GUNMAN HOLDING a busload of passengers hostage in Rio de Janeiro has been shot dead by police, officials said, ending the hours-long hijacking.

Dozens of people were trapped on the bus after it was commandeered by the gunman on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with the neighboring city of Niteroi.

At least six people — four women and two men — were freed.

Around 31 people had remained on the bus throughout the terrifying ordeal. None of the hostages were injured, police said.

Heavily armed police including military and snipers had surrounded the bus as they negotiated with the gunman, who G1 news reported had been armed with a gun, a taser and petrol.

Brazilian military police tweeted that they had “neutralised” the man.

“This is the police that we want to see,” a military police spokesman told local media. “It was necessary for the sniper to neutralize (the hijacker) and save people on the bus. “He (hijacker) died at the scene.”

The gunman reportedly boarded the bus at 5.30 am local time (9.30am Irish time) and began threatening passengers.

Around four hours later a sniper shot dead the hijacker.

Several lanes of traffic on the busy Rio-Niteroi bridge spanning Guanabara Bay were paralyzed during the hostage situation.

Commuters stopped on the bridge could be seen standing outside their cars and taking photos with their smartphones.

Brazil Rio Hostage Access to the bridge was blocked during the situation. Leo Correa / PA Images Leo Correa / PA Images / PA Images

A live broadcast of the situation showed several ambulances parked near the bus, receiving hostages as they were released.

The gunman – a young man wearing a white T-shirt and dark-colored trousers – poked his head out of the bus at one point, showing his face, G1 reported. 

It had been unclear if the hijacker had made any demands or what his motivation was for taking the hostages.

This is not the first time a gunman has hijacked a public transit bus in Rio.

In 2000, a gunman stormed a passenger bus in a fashionable neighborhood of the city. The hours long hijacking of bus 174 was later turned into an award-winning documentary. 

- © AFP, 2019

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    Mute Melissa OHara
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    May 16th 2021, 11:06 PM

    I used to be good at geography. Then they changed everything! ;)

    230
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    Mute kevinhunt101
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    May 16th 2021, 10:04 PM

    10, though I did guess 1 I hadn’t a clue, Vaduz?

    83
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    Mute Mr Snrub
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    May 16th 2021, 10:49 PM

    @kevinhunt101: 9 because Vaduz couldn’t be in Andorra

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    May 17th 2021, 1:08 AM

    I’ve actually been to Nuuk.,back in the eighties There was a museum of mummified Inuits and one supermarket. Perversely the bus had a sign prohibiting travellers from eating iced lollies on board. As if they’d want to…

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    Mute Gillian O'Coinne
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    May 16th 2021, 10:04 PM

    7 out of ten. Not bad.

    60
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    Mute Andy
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    May 16th 2021, 10:22 PM

    -3 out of 10

    57
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    Mute Brian Roche
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    May 16th 2021, 10:49 PM

    Got the Greenland one right because I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty last night

    50
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    Mute Setanta Stylfox
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    May 16th 2021, 10:21 PM

    10 out of 10

    34
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    Mute Gerard Moroney
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    May 16th 2021, 10:25 PM

    @Setanta Stylfox:

    7
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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    May 17th 2021, 12:42 AM

    @Setanta Stylfox: please do the Lottery next week I’ll pay for it

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    Mute Joan Doyle
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    May 17th 2021, 8:11 AM

    @Setanta Stylfox: with a name
    like that you shouldn’t get lost ?

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    Mute Colm de Cleir
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    May 17th 2021, 12:03 AM

    7/10 is “Middlin”? I’m sure I’ve gotten less than that before and been “Fintastic”!

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    Mute Nollaig Kelly
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    May 17th 2021, 12:51 AM

    @Colm de Cleir: I also got 7 out of 10 but said I was grand

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    Mute Diarmuid #STAYATHOME
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    May 16th 2021, 10:40 PM

    10/10. Greenland was a total guess though

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    Mute Anto Whelan
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    May 16th 2021, 10:45 PM

    10 easy

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    Mute The Kev in Kevlar
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    May 17th 2021, 1:26 AM

    Vaduz is awesome,stayed there for a night while driving around Europe..so small all the light flash yellow constantly xD

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    Mute Brian Roche
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    May 16th 2021, 10:49 PM

    Got the Greenland one right because I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty last night

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    Mute Colm de Cleir
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    May 17th 2021, 12:03 AM

    @Brian Roche: I got it right because the second option made it obvious the author was making a joke about the first one. ..

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    Mute Ger Power
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    May 17th 2021, 11:04 AM

    Geography always been my strong subject, an easy 10/10. Watching Ireland playing away games also helped.

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    Mute Alan McDonald
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    May 16th 2021, 11:53 PM

    9

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    Mute Pierre Maanen
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    May 17th 2021, 8:49 AM

    10/10

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    Mute Noel
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    May 17th 2021, 1:05 PM

    8/10 should have really got that Portugal question right to make 9/10. Would have never got that Greenland one though.

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    Mute Ed
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    May 17th 2021, 11:24 AM

    I saw a video of Conan O’Brien in Nuuk. It was quite humourous.

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    Mute Bennasi84
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    May 17th 2021, 10:59 AM

    9/10 fooking Greenland

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