Four men seeking to collect a R$ 250 mil debt were shot and killed on Tuesday, August 11, at the home of a retired military police officer in Formosa, near the Federal District in Brazil. Investigators point to a truck purchase as the motive for the killings.
What began as a debt collection at a residential property in Formosa, in the surrounding area of the Federal District, erupted into a deadly confrontation on Tuesday, August 11. Four men arrived at the home of a retired military police officer to collect a sum of R$ 250 mil, according to investigations detailed by reporting from O Hoje. Instead of receiving payment, all four visitors were shot and killed.
The Scene and the Victims
The Goiás Military Police were dispatched to the scene following resident reports of gunfire in a public street. When the police arrived, they found the four men already dead. The Volkswagen Amarok in which they were sitting was also hit by the shots, and a firearm was located next to one of the victims, as Metrópoles reported.
The Scientific Police identified the four dead men as Luís Antônio Rodrigues, 58; Gustavo Fernandes Graças, 30; André Luiz Ferreira Silva, 41; and Gustavo Aurélio Miguel, 31. Two of the victims—Rodrigues and Graças—were residents of São João d’Aliança in northeastern Goiás. Gustavo Fernandes Graças was a former municipal secretary of São João da Aliança (GO), where he worked in the areas of Agriculture and Transport. Between 2017 and 2019, he acted as municipal secretary of Agriculture and Transport, and from 2020 to 2024, he worked in the Municipal Secretariat of Transport. Luiz Antônio Rodrigues, known as Nego, was natural from São João da Aliança (GO) and was the father-in-law of former municipal secretary Gustavo Fernandes Graças. The other two victims, Gustavo Aurélio was natural from Casa Branca (SP), and André Ferreira, nicknamed Tarobá, was also natural from Casa Branca (SP), according to information passed to Metrópoles by a family member. According to the Civil Police, two of the victims were residents of São Paulo and belonged to a Romani community.
Investigating the Motive
Civil Police delegate José Antônio Sena stated that the primary line of inquiry centers on the financial dispute, noting that the crime happened on Tuesday (11). According to the investigation, the victims went to the house of the retired military police officer to make the collection, and they were inside a car when they were shot by the military officer and two other people. Investigators established that the debt is related to the purchase of a prancha-type truck.
While authorities are examining potential connections to money lending at interest, investigators emphasize that the core dispute initially refers to the vehicle transaction.
The intelligence units of the Civil and Military Police have information that they also dealt with usury, but, beforehand, the event refers to this R$ 250 mil debt. José Antônio Sena, Civil Police delegate, via O Hoje
Suspects and Ongoing Manhunt
The retired military police officer living at the property is identified as the person responsible for the shots that killed the four men. Besides the reserve military officer, his son and a third suspect also allegedly participated in the action, and all of them are sought by the police. After the crime, the suspects fled.
According to the Civil Police, those involved have already been identified, but had not yet been located or arrested up to the latest update of the investigation. Police continue to search for the suspects while working to clarify the dynamics of the crime, identify the participation of each involved party, and confirm the motivation of the massacre.
Local Response and Next Steps
After the confirmation of the deaths, the Prefecture of São João d’Aliança published two notes of regret. The municipality also decreed three days of official mourning.
As the manhunt continues, investigations continue to clarify the dynamics of the crime, identify the participation of each involved party, and confirm the motivation of the slaughter, while the collection of the R$ 250 mil debt related to the purchase of the truck is treated as the main motivation for the crime.
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