Sao Paulo governor Alckmin's son caught up in shooting
(35 minutes later)
Relatives of the governor of Brazil's richest state have been caught up in a gunfight after being approached by a group of armed men, police say.
The son and granddaughter of Geraldo Alckmin, the governor of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, were caught up in a gunfight between their security guards and gunmen on Sunday, police say.
Security guards for the son and granddaughter of Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin fired back at the gunmen, who reportedly fled by car.
The gunmen approached Thomaz Alckmin's car in what police say may have been an attempted robbery or kidnapping.
Police say they suspect an attempted robbery, but have not ruled out kidnapping as a possible motive.
Mr Alckmin's bodyguards and the gunmen exchanged fire in Morumbi, in the south of the city of Sao Paulo.
Brazil's richest city, Sao Paulo, has one of the country's worst crime rates.
Sao Paulo, Brazil's richest city, has one of the country's worst crime rates.
It is said to have the largest fleet of privately owned armour-plated cars in the world.
Police said gunmen stopped the car of Mr Alckmin, 30, and his 9-year-old daughter as they were leaving a social club in Morumbi.
'Not ruling out'
Mr Alckmin's guards opened fire, forcing the attackers to flee. The gunmen's car was later found with blood stains, police said.
Thomaz Alckmin and his 9-year-old daughter were leaving a social club in an uptown neighbourhood in Sao Paulo on Sunday when they were attacked, police said.
Mr Alckmin and his daughter escaped unscathed.
Their car was allegedly stopped by the gang before policemen of the governor's son security detail opened fire on the attackers.
This is not the first time Thomaz Alckmin's guards have been involved in a shootout.
The men fled but the car was later found with blood stains, police said.
In 2002, one of his security guard died after a gunfight with armed robbers outside the home of Mr Alckmin's girlfriend.
"We are not ruling out any possibilities," a statement by Sao Paulo's Public Security Agency read.
His father, Sao Paulo state Governor Geraldo Alckmin, has received death threats from a powerful criminal gang calling itself First Command of the Capital (PCC).
This was not the first time Governor Geraldo Alckmin's son was targeted by gunmen.
In 2002, a policeman working as his security guard died in a gunfight after an attempted robbery.
Two years later, Mr Alckmin had his motorbike stolen in Sao Paulo.
Last year, vice-governor Guilherme Afif Domingos' daughter came under fire while driving her son to school.
She escaped unscathed in her bullet-proof car from a robbery.
Nearly two years ago, Governor Alckmin faced a crisis as the criminal group PCC launched a series of attacks against policemen in Sao Paulo.
