The jiu-jitsu world mourns the death of Leandro Lo. The multiple world champion was shot dead at a party in Sao Paulo
The multiple world champion in jiu-jitsu Leandro Lo is dead.
According to several media outlets, Lo was shot dead at the age of 33 at a party in Sao Paulo – presumably by an off-duty police officer.
The Spanish newspaper Marca, among others, reports on the death of the Brazilian, which also gives details on how it happened. The martial artist had an altercation with a drunken guest at the party.
The alleged perpetrator first tried to hit Lo with a bottle. The martial artist allegedly convinced the off-duty police officer to put the bottle down.
Lo then allegedly brought him to the ground. Shortly afterwards, however, the perpetrator allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the eight-time world champion in the head.
Lo is declared brain dead in hospital
The Lo family’s lawyer, Ivan Siqueira Junior, said that Lo and his friends had previously tried to prevent the incident from escalating.
According to the family, Lo suffered “irreversible damage” in the attack. Although he was immediately taken to hospital, he was pronounced brain dead there, according to the BBC.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation reacted in shock to the death of its athlete.
“The idol of a sport, Leandro Lo, leaves us physically. We pay our respects and reverence to the man who helped and inspired so many people to wear the kimono around the world,” it said in a statement on Twitter.
Officially, the crime has not yet been solved. The sport of jiu-jitsu has lost one of its greatest athletes in the form of the multiple world champion in various classes.