Man shot and killed near Maracana Stadium after opening ceremony
RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio police say a man was shot dead near Maracana Stadium after Friday's Olympic opening ceremony.
According to Rio's Civil Police Department, a 22-year-old Brazilian named Ronaldo Marques de Souza was assaulting people in the crowd as the 53,000 attendees were being let out of the stadium. An officer from an unidentified agency who was assisting with Olympic security responded and shot the man, according to a statement.
Brazilian officials have pulled in police from around the country to conduct security around the Games, a total of 85,000 law enforcement officials. The statement from Rio police said the officer came from another state in Brazil, but did not specify which one.
Associated Press photographers gave a different account of the shooting. They reported hearing multiple, loud gun shots, forcing Games volunteers and others leaving the ceremony to duck for cover behind cars. The photographers said they then saw a shooter running from the scene and fleeing in a car close to a university parking lot.
After police and medics arrived on the scene, paramedics were seen treating the victim as blood poured from his body onto the road.
Rio police says it is continuing its investigation.
This is the second shooting death in the Olympic city this week, and that one has varying descriptions as well. Brazil police originally said a Russian diplomat fought off a would-be robber, whose gun went off. The alleged assailant was killed. The Russian embassy, though, said no Russian official was involved.