Leonardo Lo could easily incapacitate his opponents with his hands and feet, but the martial artist didn’t stand a chance against a pistol. As several media unanimously report, the multiple world champion in jiu-jitsu died at the age of 33 after a brutal violent crime.
Among other things, the Spanish newspaper “Marca” reports Los’s death and describes the alleged course of events. Accordingly, the successful martial artist got into a fight with a drunk guest at a party in the Brazilian metropolis Saõ Paulo.
The alleged perpetrator – according to media reports, a police officer who was off duty at the time of the attack – is said to have initially tried to hit Lo with a bottle. The athlete was only able to convince the man to put the bottle down and bring him to the ground. Immediately afterwards, the attacker pulled out a gun and shot the eight-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion in the head.
The victim’s family said Lo suffered “irreversible damage.” Lo was immediately rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced brain dead, according to the BBC. Lo family lawyer Ivan Siqueira Junior said Lo and his friends tried to prevent the incident from escalating.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation was dismayed by the violent death of its figurehead. In a statement, the federation wrote: “Idol of a sport Leandro Lo is leaving us physically. We pay homage and homage to the man who helped and inspired so many people to wear the kimono around the world.”
It was only this year that Lo had won his last world title to date. The Brazilian won his impressive collection of titles in six different weight classes. Four times he was second on the podium at world championships.
