Armed violence in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro increased in March. In all, 128 shootings took place in the region, according to the Instituto Fogo Cruzado Monthly Report. The shootings left 64 people shot, of whom 37 died and 27 were injured.
The number of cases mapped in the west zone in March 2023 is greater than that recorded in the same month last year, when 49 shootings took place, leaving 11 dead and 12 injured.
The west zone was at the top of shooting rates among regions that are part of Greater Rio. The north zone, which topped the list due to the scenario of disputes between armed groups and the high number of police actions and operations, had 125 shootings in March, followed by Baixada Fluminense (59), metropolitan east (47), center (12) , and south zone (eight).
According to Instituto Fogo Cruzado, Rua Araticum, in the neighborhood of Anil, west zone, also draws attention. The street, alone, concentrated more gunshots in March than the entire blue zone and downtown Rio combined. In all, 13 people were shot on this street. The south zone and the center concentrated three and six people shot, respectively.
According to the regional coordinator of the Fogo Cruzado Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Nhanga, the west zone is historically marked by the control of militia groups over the region’s neighborhoods.
“The Map of Armed Groups, launched by Fogo Cruzado in partnership with the Geni laboratory, in 2022, showed that it was there where the militia most expanded its domain over the last decade. Today, the factions entered the dispute, intensifying the armed conflicts and leaving the population in the middle of intense shootings. The data we record today is linked to this history. The west zone had eight times more shootings than the south zone and this shows the state’s indifference in guaranteeing the safety of the population in the regions furthest from the center”, evaluated, in a note, Carlos Nhanga.
“It is necessary to invest in public security equally in all regions of Greater Rio, and this survey is the starting point for more effective public policies to be designed to preserve the lives of the population”, added the coordinator.
Throughout March, 383 shootings took place in the Rio metropolitan area, according to the Instituto Fogo Cruzado Monthly Report. The data indicates an increase of 7% compared to the same period of 2022, which concentrated 357 shootings.
Among the 383 shootings recorded in the month, 146 of them (38%) occurred during police actions or operations. In 2022, in this same period, of the 357 shootings mapped, 120 of them (34%) took place in police actions or operations.
March concentrated 214 people shot in the metropolitan region of Rio, where 120 died and 94 were injured. In the same period of 2022, 209 were shot, with 102 dead and 107 injured. This year, March saw an 18% increase in deaths and a 12% drop in injuries.
Among the 214 shot, 136 of them (63.5%) were hit during police actions or operations: 70 of them died and 66 were injured. In March 2022, of the 209 shots, 129 of them (62%) were hit during police actions or operations: 56 dead and 73 injured.
Compared to the month of February, which registered 242 shootings, 93 dead and 116 injured, March saw an increase of 58% in shootings and 29% in deaths and a 19% decrease in injuries.
Profile of armed violence
In March, 17 security agents were shot in the Rio metropolitan area: five of them died and 12 were injured. In 2022, in the same period, 12 security agents were shot: five died and seven were injured.
In all, 18 people were victims of stray bullets in March: five died and 13 were injured. Among the 18 victims, 13 were hit during actions or operations: four died and nine were injured. In March 2022, ten people were victims of stray bullets (three dead and two wounded), seven of them were hit in police actions and operations (three dead and four wounded).
There were nine massacres in Grande Rio that resulted in the deaths of 36 civilians. Eight cases occurred during police actions or operations, resulting in 33 deaths. In March 2022, there were five massacres with 20 deaths in total. Four of the slaughters were in actions or operations, resulting in 15 deaths.
Three children were shot in the Great River: all survived. As of March 2022, there have been no children shot.
Four teenagers were shot in Grande Rio: three died and one was injured. In March 2022, five teenagers were shot, one died and four were injured.
Five elderly people were shot in Grande Rio: two died and three were injured. In March 2022, three elderly people were shot: two died and one was injured.
Accumulated for the year
Between January and March, there were 920 shootings/gunshots in the metropolitan region of Rio, according to data from the Fogo Cruzado Institute, with 358 of these records occurring during police actions. In all, 588 people were shot in the period, of which 294 were killed and 294 were injured. The same period of 2022 had 867 shootings, 281 of which were in police actions, and 494 people were shot, with 262 dead and 232 injured. This year, there was a 6% increase in shootings in general, a 27% increase in the share of shootings during police operations, a 12% increase in deaths and 27% in the number of injuries.
Military police
The press office of the State Secretariat of Military Police reported that the corporation does not comment on data from unofficial entities.
“It should be noted that the body responsible for compiling the official indexes in Rio de Janeiro is the Public Security Institute (ISP)”, says the note.
The corporation highlighted that actions to combat organized crime are planned based on intelligence information, “being guided by technical criteria and the provisions of current legislation, with the central concern of preserving lives, being carried out in an integrated manner with other bodies of security”.
