14 killed in shoot-out with police during double bank robbery in small Brazil town
- Five of the dead were members of the same family who were taken hostage by the gang and included two children aged 14 and 13
At least 14 people, including six hostages, were killed early on Friday in a shoot-out between police and bank robbers trying to blow up cash machines at two banks in a small town in northeastern Brazil, authorities said.
Most of the deaths occurred when police opened fire on the robbers on the main street in Milagres in the central Ceara state, a statement by the governor’s office said.
Five of the alleged gang members died in the nighttime shoot-out soon after 2am, two died in hospital from bullet wounds and an eighth was gunned down while being chased by police, it said.
Six people who were taken hostage on a local highway died in the shoot-out, the statement said. It said three suspects have been arrested.
Five of the dead hostages were members of the same family and included two children aged 14 and 13, local mayor Lielson Landim, told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.