Three unidentified men in a light-colored compact car
intercepted Vieira’s vehicle outside the offices of Bezerros FM, a station
owned by the journalist, in the city of
70 miles (110 kilometers) from
according to the national daily O Globo.
Witnesses told reporters that one assailant walked up to Vieira’s car and shot
him three times in the chest and head. Vieira was taken to a local clinic and
then transferred to a regional hospital in the nearby city of
Vieira, 40, hosted the radio program “Bezerros Comunidade,”
which focused on local social issues, O
Globo reported. He also owned the local newspaper Folha do Agreste and a music production company.
Local police were investigating the killing, and authorities
offered a reward of 2,000 reals (US$1,200), according to news reports.
Investigators told local reporters that Vieira’s murder appeared to be a
contract killing. They did not immediately identify a motive.