American tourist Trey Barber, 28, died this Friday after being hit by a stray bullet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Barber got shot inside a friend’s apartment in the Cascadura neighborhood, north zone. He was trying to get the television remote control. Rival gangs were involved in a freeway shooting in a favela (slums) nearby.
Known for its beaches and mountains, Rio de Janeiro is the most popular tourist destination in Brazil. Also, the city is famous for its favelas, which are impoverished areas and home to about 1,4 million people (22% of Rio de Janeiro’s population).
The fatal incident occurred last Tuesday. The American tourist was rescued and taken to Hospital Salgado Filho. He had surgery to remove the bullet. On Thursday, Barber had been transferred to a private hospital. He did not survive his injuries. The hospital confirmed his death.
Barber taught Portuguese in Los Angeles, where he lived. He had been on vacation at her friend’s house in Rio de Janeiro since July.
He was a researcher who graduated from UCLA (the University of California at Los Angeles), where he worked as an assistant professor.
Two other people were also injured during this shooting. The two people were inside a bus. The vehicle was passing through the region during the shooting. They were also initially taken to the same hospital where Barber was taken. Another man was found dead in the middle of the street.
The shooting started around 5:30 pm on Tuesday. The streets w, due to the return of the residents from work. According to residents, the drug war in the region involves rival drug gangs that dispute the area for drug trafficking.
Travel Noire contacted The Rio de Janeiro City Police Department to ask for more information about the crime. In a statement, the RJPD informed that the investigation is ongoing to find the shooters.
“Due diligence continues to clarify the origin of the shot that hit the victim and identify the author of the crime”, says the police.
