Soccer fan killed in riot after game between Brazilian rivals Vasco da Gama, Flamengo
A fan was shot and killed as riots began at a soccer match in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night, according to multiple media outlets
A man was shot in the throat outside the arena of a Rio Derby game between rivals Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, and later pronounced dead upon arrival at Hospital Souza Aguiar, the G1 news website reported. Three others were hospitalized, two with gunshot wounds, according to Brazil’s O Globo newspaper.
Rio military police were called in when angry home fans started rioting after Flamengo’s 1-0 league victory. Supporters threw homemade rockets and fireworks and players were forced to sprint off the field to avoid being hit. Police used tear gas, stun grenades and pepper spray in an attempt to subdue the wild fans inside the Estádio Vasco da Gama stadium, but their presence was far less outside the venue. Police told the Associated Press “investigations were underway” about the incident.“What happened here is not Vasco,” Vasco president Eurico Miranda said in a statement after the game. “I am asking for apologies in the name of Vasco. Actually, what happened here is something that has no justification.”