A man opened fire inside a courtroom, striking his father’s accused killer several times in the middle of his trial.
The shocking attack occurred last November during proceedings for defendant 38-year-old Francisco Cleidivaldo Mariano de Moura in Brazil, Fox News reported. It was brought to light after police shared the surveillance footage last week.
Video circulated on social media shows the moment Christiano Alves Terto, 27, got up from his seat in the courtroom in São José do Belmonte with the weapon in hand. A woman attempts to stop him but fails, and Terto is seen running towards Moura. He reportedly shot Moura six times with a .38 revolver.
Moura attempted to take cover behind the judge’s bench, but Terto followed and continued to attack him, hitting him in the head. During this time, most of the people who were present, including the judge, ran out of the room.
Terto was arrested and jailed at a local prison, according to CNN Brasil. Moura was transported to the hospital to treat his injuries and is expected to recover.
Brazilian media reported that Moura was on trial for a murder that took place in 2012 following a dispute over a missing donkey that disappeared from his property. He approached the shooter’s father, Francisco Alves, and asked him about it. However, he received an unexpected response.
Warning: This video is graphic and disturbing.
“Get off my property, you dirty little thief,” Alves said, according to Moura’s testimony, and an argument ensued.
Moura claimed that Alves attempted to attack him with a piece of wood, prompting him to fire two warning shots, according to local media. The third time, the bullet hit Alves.
“After receiving a negative response from the victim, the accused became angry and discharged the three projectiles that were in the firearm he was carrying illegally towards the victim, one of which hit the victim in the abdomen,” court officials said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “The accused then fled, while the victim was rescued by his partner and other relatives, and taken to the local hospital, being later transferred to the municipality of Arcoverde-PE, but dying around 18 days later.”
According to reports, Moura confessed to the crime at that time, but it’s unclear why it took more than a decade to have a trial.
