Stray bullet pierces Tijuca apartment balcony, hits sofa where resident was sleeping

A resident of Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone, experienced a terrifying incident when a stray bullet penetrated her apartment's balcony glass door and struck the sofa where her son had just been napping. The event occurred around 6 PM on Tuesday, August 30th. In a video shared online, the woman documented the damage, showing the shattered balcony door, the tear in the sofa, and the projectile found inside. She stated that her son was lying on the sofa at the exact moment the shot hit the apartment. The resident expressed disbelief, noting the distance from the reported conflict in the Morro do Cruz community and the potential tragedy had she arrived to find her son deceased. The apartment is situated above a gym and near the 6th Military Police Battalion (Tijuca). She believes the shot originated from Morro do Cruz in Andaraí, where residents reported intense gunfire at the same time. The resident expressed shock that a bullet could reach so far into her home, emphasizing the recent increase in tension in the Tijuca area over the past two months. Residents living near the communities of Borel, Morro do Cruz, and Casa Branca have reported frequent gunfire due to a territorial dispute between rival factions: Comando Vermelho (CV) controlling Borel and Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) controlling Morro do Cruz and Casa Branca. The CV's objective is reportedly to seize these two communities and gain complete control of the Greater Tijuca area. Earlier this year, drug trafficker Rodrigo Rosa Brasil, also known as ‘Boneco do Andaraí’ and believed to be a leader in the Morro do Andaraí drug trade, died during an encounter with Military Police.