Three people shot and killed in Lisbon, suspects on the run

Three people shot and killed in Lisbon, suspects on the run

Unidentified assailants shot and killed two men and a woman in a poor area of the Portuguese capital Lisbon in broad daylight on Wednesday then fled the scene on foot, police said.

Such murders are rare in Portugal, which is considered one of the world's safest countries, but violent crime has been on the rise lately.

The shooting took place in the Penha de Franca district, an old working-class neighbourhood of Lisbon.

"I can confirm that three people were shot and killed and the suspects, three men, fled," a police source told Reuters, adding that it was too early to say what the motive for the killings was.

Several local media said two of the victims had died from head wounds, suggesting an execution-style hit.

Portugal ranks as the 7th most peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. But the latest national security report says violent crime rose 5.6% last year from 2022 levels to 14,022 cases, more than a third of them in greater Lisbon.