Four-year-old Boy Shot Dead at Own Birthday Party in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Enzo dos Santos, a 4-year-old boy, died on Sunday, June 6th, after being shot in the chest during his own birthday party at his family’s home in the Piabetá neighborhood in Magé, a suburb north of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The child was attended to by the Piabetá Pediatrics Center but did not survive his injuries.

According to the 34th State Police Battalion, the perpetrator is Pedro Vinícius de Souza Pervidor, 21, who crashed the party wiith other guests and was arrested in the act. In an audio statement, Douglas dos Santos, the boy’s father, said the suspect tried to escape but was restrained until the authorities reached the scene.

“I saw that he sat in the car, dropped his gun, and started the car trying to escape. Then I said, ‘Oh no, come here’. I rushed towards him and took the key. He came back to grab the car key from me, and I grabbed his gun. I had the gun and people were saying, ‘Kill him! Kill him!’. I didn’t do that. I’m not like that,” he said.

Pedro was arrested with a revolver with its serial number filed off and is now charged with illegal possession of a gun and manslaughter. “My son was turning 4 years old, delighted with his Hulk party. He had been asking for a month: ‘Is my party tomorrow? Is my party tomorrow?’. Oh my God, such pain!” Douglas lamented in tears.

So far, three versions of the crime are being investigated. In his account, the gunman claimed that the gun fell to the ground and the shot, which killed Enzo, was accidental. The little one’s mother, on the other hand, said she heard an argument between Pervidor and the children and then heard a gunshot. The father ultimately recounted a different version. According to Santos, the suspect hugged the birthday boy and then pulled the trigger.

“He simply hugged my son and shot him in the chest, like that, people. Just like that. After what happened, my wife got my son in the car with his sister, they rushed him to the hospital and I stayed here. I stayed here asking the guy, ‘What did you do? What did you do to my son, man?!’, he despaired.

In a note, the State Police (PM) reported that teams from the 34th BPM (Magé) were deployed to Geraldo Anacleto Street, in Piabetá, on Sunday evening. “At the scene, police officers were told that a child had been shot with a firearm and had been taken to the Piabetá Pediatrics Center. A man was arrested and a revolver was seized. The incident was referred to the 60th District (Campos Elíseos),” the police force said.

The Secretary of State for Victims (SEVIT) also issued a statement assuring it would offer “social and psychological assistance to Enzo’s family. “SEVIT continues to monitor the case and is at the disposal of the child’s relatives,” it added.

The case raised a commotion on social media. Some of the neighborhoods’ residents mourned the death of the boy in their profiles. Douglas is an entertainer for children’s parties in the region, and acquaintances said the loss of his son made the “happiest person in town cry”. Enzo’s body was buried yesterday afternoon at the Magé cemetery.