Bodybuilder, aged 26, shot dead by two gunmen on a motorbike after receiving death threats from armed robber

Roberto Silva de Souza, 26, who fought off two armed robbers last month, was killed by two gunmen on a motorbike.

The fitness guru, who was studying nutrition at university, was approached by two men on a motorcycle in his native Belem, Brazil, who fired several shots at him, witnesses reported to a local publication.

The muscle man, who was also working as a private security guard to pay for his education, was a local bodybuilding champion, winning the Mister Para 2023 and Mister Presenca Para 2021/2022. He had more than 8,000 followers on his Instagram account and more than 3,000 friends on his Facebook page.

He died at the scene in the Sacramenta neighbourhood of the city on Wednesday (August 28). The day after, on Thursday August 29, local police confirmed what had happened. They said that people heard gunshots and found the victim lying dead on the pavement near a supermarket.

Officials also revealed that Roberto had previously been robbed by two men in July, but had managed to fight off their attack. It’s reported that he disarmed one of the two suspects at shot at them both. One of the assailants was fatally injured and later died in hospital.

Roberto had reportedly received death threats from the other robber after the incident, according to local media. Police are currently investigating Roberto’s death. It is unclear if the two incidents were connected, and no arrests have yet been made in connection to the bodybuilder’s death.

In addition to bodybuilding, Roberto also trained in martial arts and worked as a model. He was walking home from a football match with friends when he was killed, according to local reports. It is not known if any of his friends were injured during the incident.

Fans have left tributes to him on his social media pages. One wrote: “Still can't believe you're gone” alongside a crying face emoji. Another simply post a broken heart emoji.