São Paulo Police Fire 45 Shots at Man Holding a Phone
CRIME · BRAZIL
Key Facts
- —The country Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy. São Paulo, its biggest city, is the country’s main business hub and home to many US companies.
- —Why it matters Police killed an unarmed 20-year-old after a call about a man in crisis. The case revives questions over use of force by São Paulo’s Military Police.
- —Why now The shooting happened early on Saturday 10 October. Civil and Military Police have opened investigations, and bodycam footage has been seized.
- —What happened Four officers fired 45 shots at about 2:45 a.m. in Moema. Gustavo Munis de Santana was hit 27 times. He was holding a mobile phone.
- —The numbers On-duty police in São Paulo state killed 142 people in the first quarter of 2026, according to prosecutors’ data compiled by Agência Brasil.
- —What it means for you There is no wider threat to residents or visitors. The case is a reminder to stay calm, keep hands visible and avoid sudden movements if police approach.
- —Still open Whether the four officers acted lawfully, what the full bodycam footage shows and whether any officer is suspended or charged.
Four Military Police officers fired 45 shots at a 20-year-old man in São Paulo early on Saturday 10 October, killing him with 27 bullet wounds. Officers said they mistook the mobile phone in his hands for a gun. The São Paulo police shooting, in the middle-class district of Moema, has renewed scrutiny of police force in Brazil’s business capital.
The victim was Gustavo Munis de Santana. The Civil Police said he had no criminal record. His family told investigators he lived with his mother and sisters and was being treated for depression, according to the police report quoted by G1.
Police had been called to help a man in crisis, not to stop a crime. That detail is now at the centre of the investigation.
How the Shooting Unfolded
The police report, known in Brazil as a boletim de ocorrência, sets out the officers’ preliminary account. The Military Police operations centre (Copom) received a call at 2:35 a.m. about a disturbed man threatening to take his own life near Avenida Moreira Guimarães.
The Military Police (PM) is the state’s uniformed patrol force. It answers to São Paulo’s Public Security Secretariat (SSP), the state department that also runs the Civil Police, which investigates crimes.
According to the report, officers arriving at the scene saw Gustavo put his hand to his waist, a move they read as a threat. He ran across a footbridge towards Alameda dos Guaramomis, and the officers followed him.
As patrol cars closed in, he tried to hide in the recess of a commercial building. He then stepped out of a dark area with his arms stretched towards the officers, holding a dark object. Four officers opened fire with .40-calibre pistols.
The object was later identified as a Samsung mobile phone. It was the only item found beside his body, G1 reported. Paramedics confirmed his death at the scene.
What the Police Report Shows
The officers themselves reported how many rounds each fired. One fired 14 shots, one 13, one 12 and the fourth, a sergeant, six. Four more officers in back-up cars did not shoot, according to the report.
Forensic experts counted at least 27 gunshot wounds, in his head, chest, abdomen, arms and legs. They collected 44 cartridge cases and 13 bullet fragments. About 10 bullet marks were found on the facade of the building opposite.
His family went to the scene in the morning and stayed beside the body. It was released to the forensic medical institute (IML) only at 11:04 a.m., according to the report.
The officers wore body cameras. A first look at the footage confirmed the moment Gustavo left the dark area and stretched his arms towards them, the report says. The detective in charge has requested the full recordings.
What the Authorities Say
In a statement, the SSP said the Civil and Military Police are both investigating the death. The case was registered by the homicide department (DHPP) as “resistance and death resulting from police intervention”, the standard label for killings by officers.
The officers’ conduct will be examined in a military police inquiry (IPM), an internal investigation run by the force itself. “The officers’ weapons, the victim’s phone and the body camera images that recorded the action were seized and will be examined,” the secretariat said.
Neither the SSP nor the Military Police has said whether the four officers have been taken off street duty. All of them are presumed innocent while the investigations run. The state prosecutors’ office (MPSP) has the constitutional duty of external oversight of police activity.
Lethal force is a long-running concern in São Paulo. Police on duty killed 142 people in the state in the first quarter of 2026, five more than a year earlier, Agência Brasil reported from MPSP data. Military Police officers on duty accounted for 134 of those deaths.
The wider context is that overall violence is falling. The SSP recorded 624 murders and robbery-killings in the first quarter, the lowest for that period this century and 8.1% fewer than in 2025, CNN Brasil reported.
What It Means for You
For residents, visitors and business travellers, this São Paulo police shooting does not point to any wider danger. Moema is a mainly residential district near Ibirapuera Park and Congonhas airport, and daily life there continues normally.
It is still a useful reminder of how police encounters can escalate. If officers approach you in Brazil, stay calm, keep your hands visible and follow instructions. Avoid sudden movements, especially reaching for a phone or a bag.
Travellers who need help in a mental-health crisis, or who see someone in one, can call the SAMU ambulance service on 192 as well as the police on 190. For a wider view of risk by district, see Rio vs São Paulo Safety for Expats, District by District.
For investors, the case is unlikely to move markets. It adds, however, to a national debate on crime and policing ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff on 25 October. Background is in Brazil Security and Crime Explained 2026.
What Is Not Known
The full body camera footage has not been released, so the officers’ account cannot yet be checked against it. It is not known whether Gustavo heard or understood any order before the shots were fired.
The police report gives an address in Moema, while the SSP statement placed the death in Jardim Planalto, also in the south zone. Officials have not explained the difference.
It is also unclear who made the original emergency call, how long the chase lasted and when the IML will issue its final autopsy report. No officer has been charged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was killed in the São Paulo police shooting?
Gustavo Munis de Santana, 20, was shot 27 times by Military Police officers in Moema early on Saturday 10 October. Police said he had no criminal record.
Why did the police open fire?
According to the police report, the officers mistook the dark mobile phone he was holding for a gun when he stepped out of a dark area with his arms stretched out.
Is the shooting being investigated?
Yes. The Civil Police homicide department and a military police inquiry are investigating. Weapons, the phone and body camera footage have been seized for examination.
Sources: São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP) statement and police report as reported by G1 report on the police report, G1 on the 45 shots, Folha de S.Paulo, TMC, Agência Brasil (MPSP data), CNN Brasil (SSP data).
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error