São Paulo Financial District Shooting, One Dead After Armed Robbery, Police Hunt Two Gunmen

São Paulo, Brazil— Gunfire erupted on Avenida Paulista shortly after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday when two men on a motorcycle attempted to rob a cash courier outside a financial center, killing one person and vanishing into downtown traffic.

Witnesses said the courier was moving a locked bag from an armored van toward the building entrance. The motorcycle pulled alongside the sidewalk. The passenger dismounted with a pistol and demanded the bag. A struggle followed. At least three shots were fired.

The victim, identified by police as a 38-year-old private security guard, was struck in the chest and collapsed at the doorway. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The suspects fled without the bag, dropping it near the curb. The motorcycle was found abandoned four blocks away.

"The bag was left. The guard held on. That cost him his life," said a building receptionist who watched from the lobby and called police. She said the street was crowded with office workers at the time.

Military Police closed two lanes and diverted pedestrians while homicide detectives collected shell casings and secured camera footage. The financial center, which houses three banks and a foreign exchange office, locked its front entrance and sent staff to the back exit.

Investigators said the robbery appeared planned. The suspects knew the courier’s schedule and entry point. They wore full-face helmets and dark jackets. One carried a .40-caliber pistol, according to initial ballistic assessment.

"The timing was precise. They waited for the van door to open. This was not random street crime," a civil police investigator said. The investigator spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is active.

São Paulo has seen a rise in courier robberies near financial hubs this year. Security firms have asked banks to stagger pickup times and use rear entrances. The victim’s company said he had worked the Paulista route for six years.

The stolen motorcycle had been reported stolen last week in the east zone. Police are now checking theft reports and workshop cameras for recent repaint jobs.

Detectives expect to release still images from street cameras by Wednesday morning as they trace the escape path on foot.