A shocking video has surfaced, capturing the chilling moment a son seeking revenge took justice into his own hands by fatally shooting his father's accused killer right in the middle of a courtroom.
The incident occurred during a jury session for the trial of Cristiano Alves Terto's father's murder in São José do Belmonte, Brazil. Terto, aged 27, was seen firing six shots at Francisco Cleidivaldo Mariano De Moura, aged 38, according to CNN Brasil.
In the footage from inside the courtroom, Terto is witnessed rushing towards De Moura, who was seated only a few steps away from a juror and an attorney, with a .38-caliber revolver aimed directly at him. Chaos erupts as Terto unleashes gunfire, causing panic among jurors and court attendees.
Terto relentlessly fired shots at De Moura from close range as he attempted to seek cover on the ground. The assailant then struck De Moura twice in the head with the gun before fleeing the scene. Police later arrested Terto on suspicion of attempted murder, as reported by Pernambuco Military Police to CNN Brasil.
The harrowing incident unfolded on November 29, with the video footage released to the public recently. Terto was apprehended the following day and has since remained in custody.
De Moura survived the attack and was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a facility approximately 250 miles away from the courthouse.
The motive behind Terto's actions stems from De Moura's alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Terto's father, Francisco Alves, back in October 2012. Allegedly, De Moura confessed to shooting Alves after an altercation over a missing farm animal on Alves' property.
Following the shooting, De Moura fled to another city but was eventually arrested by authorities. However, details regarding the delay in bringing De Moura to trial for the nearly 12-year-old crime remain unclear.
Despite surviving the courtroom attack, De Moura's trial for Alves' murder has yet to resume. The Pernambuco Court of Justice stated that the jury has not reconvened, and a new trial date has not been set.
In the aftermath of this tragic event, questions linger about the pursuit of justice and the impact of violence within the Brazilian legal system.