RIO DE JANEIRO -- A group of armed men killed eight people in a raid on a Sao Paulo football fan club with close links to a notorious former prison, Brazilian police said on Sunday.
Police said witnesses told them that the gunmen stormed in near midnight on Saturday at the dark and gritty site where Corinthians' fan group Pavilhao 9 meets underneath a highway overpass and shot seven people in the head. An eighth man tried to escape but was chased and killed at a gas station outside.
Detective Arlindo Jose Negrao ruled out a fight between rival fan groups. He would not reveal the motive behind the attack, however, saying that could interfere with the probe.
"Through witnesses, we are already exploring a line of investigation, which is not leading us to believe it was caused by fan rivalry," Negrao said. "We even have possible suspects."
The victims were having a barbecue at the club and making flags with the team's colors before the shooting occurred. The fan group did not answer several phone calls.
Pavilhao 9 was founded by a group of Corinthians' fans who played football with inmates at Brazil's Carandiru prison, known widely for a massacre that left 111 inmates dead that was turned into a movie.
The Corinthians team did not respond to a request for information but posted the word "Mourning" against a black backdrop on its official Facebook page.
Much of the football violence that breaks out in or near Brazilian stadiums is traced to fan clubs.
Last year, dozens of members of another Corinthians' fan club, Gavioes da Fiel, invaded the team's training centre. Angered by the team's performance, they attacked employees and grabbed Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero by his neck, forcing other players to flee into a locker room and barricade themselves until police arrived.