25-year-old Thayna Higor was shot and killed in front of a restaurant in Praia Grande.
On Wednesday, October 12th Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Thaynã Higor was killed during a shooting in Brazil.
Just two months after the tragic death of Leandro Lo, 25-year-old para-athlete Higor was shot in the head while standing outside of a restaurant in the town of Praia Grande. The three-time world champion grappler was murdered by an as of yet unnamed assailant, who has reportedly been arrested by local police, according to Globo news subsidiary G1.
According to the report, backed up by surveillance footage provided from the restaurant’s camera, Higor was standing on the sidewalk while waiting for a car to pick him up. Moments later, a man approached the grappler and shot him in the head at point blank, Higor reportedly died instantly.
After killing Higor, the assailant walked inside the restaurant and fired another shot, hitting a 67-year-old man. That victim was taken to a local hospital, but is said to have died from the gunshot wound on Thursday morning.
G1 reports that the gunman was chased by the locals and ran away to a pizza parlor, where he held three people hostage. However, the police were able to arrest him safely before he could harm more civilians.
Higor competed both in para-athlete and standard jiu jitsu competitions, due to a medical error at birth that prevented his left arm from fully developing muscle mass or a full range of movement. During his career, he won three world titles under the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation of Parasports. In 2018, Higor also won two titles in the Abu Dhabi World Festival Para Jiu-Jitsu, in the United Arab Emirates.