Police in Rio de Janeiro are refusing to confirm, despite witness statements, that a bus full of worldwide basketball journalists was shot at on its way to the main Olympic park, arguing that assailants could have broken the bus’s windows by throwing rocks at it.
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The bus was making its way from the Games basketball venue to the main Olympic park when, according to passengers, two shots were heard hitting the vehicle.
“The bus didn’t come to a stop but paused”.
The International Olympic Committee said security forces are investigating the incident.
According to a statement from the Rio police, the driver of the bus has spoken to authorities.
The bus was travelling between the Deodoro zone and the main transport mall in the Olympic Park at around 1930 local time when the incident occurred with about a dozen media on board. About 10 people were on board. “I mean we could hear the report of the gun”, said Sherryl Michaelson, a retired USA air force captain who is working for a basketball publication in Rio.
She said: “I know what a gun sounds like”.
A journalist from Estado de Sao Paulo said that military cops did not bother inspecting the bus before declaring it had been stones thrown, which he thought improbable as they were a long way from houses and they all seemed to come from exactly the same position. I was sitting at the back. ‘Pop, pop.’ I am a retired Air Force captain, as well as former federal prosecutor; I own a handgun for personal protection, and have spent plenty of time on the range. “We are taking fire'”. “As soon as I heard the shot – the report from the weapon – the instinct was flatten and tell everybody else to get down. There was no immediate reaction; I think people were stunned and confused”.
A Belarus journalist suffered a cut hand in the incident, near Rio de Janeiro’s notorious City of God favela, Gaston Sainz of the Argentinian daily La Nacion, who was on the bus, told AFP. That bullet was suspected to have been fired by a gang member trying to shoot down a police blimp or drone, officials said.
Olympic volunteer Kaan Korkmaz was on the media bus and said it all happened suddenly.
“The first finding of the forensic study confirms the bus was hit by a rock which is also worrying and intolerable”, Andrada said.
“Immediately, he looked in the rear-view mirror and noticed that the passengers were lying on the ground”.
“He continued to drive for a few metres until he saw a police vehicle and stopped”.
According to the organizers, the driver then noticed that two windows were broken, and resumed the route under the escort of the police vehicle. There were no serious injuries.
CNN has contacted Michaelson and Zhol for comment.
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Mario Andrada, the communications director for Rio 2016, confirmed Sunday that the stray bullet came from a nearby community.
