Two policeman and a young man have been shot and killed by an enraged pensioner in Quinta do Conde to the south of Lisbon in a row sparked by a constantly barking dog.
Rogério Coelho, a 77-year-old, opened fire on his neighbour António José Pereira and then shot at those who went to Pereira's aid as he lay dying.
Three people were confirmed dead on Saturday, including the two police officers as Coelho picked them off from his window after a long running feud erupted over the dog that, according to neighbours, " never stopped barking."
The second victim, a plainclothes policeman who lived in the neighbourhood, was shot and killed after hearing shots and running to the property to investigate.
A second police officer from a nearby patrol that had been called to the scene was shot in the head and killed as he attended to his colleague.
The third victim was a 23-year-old man who was the son of the plainclothes policeman who had been shot. The son was seriously injured in the gunfire and later died of his wounds in hospital.
Grandfather Rogério Coelho then tried to kill himself with his hunting rifle but failed. He was arrested and taken to São Bernardo hospital in Setubal for treatment to facial injuries. He is said to be in a stable physical condition but it remains to be seen how long it will be before he can be presented to a magistrate.
Comments
Nothing worse than barking dogs keeping you awake at night & waking you up early in the morning. The dogs may be ' mad' as Enid puts it, but as mad as it makes me?
It's certainly a problem in Lagos - barking stopped at 12.45am last night & started again at 6.15am this morning.
Irresponsible selfish owners are the problem.
Easy to deal with in the UK via the local council, but who do you approach in Portugal??
I love dogs. Wish I could say the same about all dog owners.
Invariably caused or exacerbated by the totally unnatural ways so many Portuguese treat their dogs. And which the new animal welfare laws still fail to address.
Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of dog types will be aware that an animal selectively bred over hundreds of years to guard, herd or hunt needs a job to do. Or it will go 'barking mad'. As so many then do.
This dog was apparently a Rottweiler, a herding and dog cart pulling breed. Presumably tied up with minimal constructive work to do for its inevitably short lifetime.
Elsewhere in Lisbon look up at apartment verandahs and see even big dogs like Alsatians going barking mad with boredom.
Education is desperately needed but who can be found amongst the indigenous people able to provide it? And do the powers that be see any reason to pay for it?