Police Shooting? Brazilian Law Enforcement Involvement ‘Not Ruled Out’ In Investigation Of Massacre That Killed 19, Injured 7 People In São Paulo

Officials confirm that 19 people were killed and 7 injured in a violent spree in Brazil on Thursday night. The string of shootings reportedly occurred in Osasco and other neighborhoods of northwest São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and financial capital. Some initial evidence suggests police involvement in the killings. Osasco Mayor Jorge Lapas says that security camera footage recovered from a bar where some of the murders occurred supports that theory, according to the AFP . If true, it would mean that the masked men pictured in the video are police, possibly carrying out series of revenge murders. Officials are actively investigating that and other hypotheses to explain the massacre and track down suspects in the case.

“We’re not ruling out any hypothesis,” Public Security Secretary Alexandre de Moraes told reporters in a press conference Friday morning, according to Folha de São Paulo .

The murders occurred in over 10 locations, spread across three neighborhoods of northwest São Paulo and took place over an approximately 3 hour period, according to G1 . Video and photos of the murders and their aftermath show that many of the victims were killed in public places, shot down in cafe bars and along public streets.

The shooting spree followed the deaths of police officers, leading some to believe that they were committed in revenge. Shells found at the scene included calibers commonly used by military and civil police, according to Folha .

Moraes also said that the theory of civil police involvement is being considered alongside the possibility that the murders were related to drug trafficking and gang-related violence, according to video aired by G1 . The Secretary urged media and civil society not to jump to conclusions about the case, according to Brazil-based reporter Ben Tavener.

Extrajudicial killings perpetrated by police in Brazil are not uncommon , and have been connected to both vigilante-style killings and corruption. São Paulo has taken measures in recent years to drive down officer-involved killings of crime suspects. Police deaths are also high, according to the New York Times .