A young man is wanted by the police for shooting dead his teen girlfriend with a shotgun because she refused to elope with him.

Junior Ferreira da Silva, 21, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, 15-year-old Shirley Brenda Correa da Silva.

According to reports, the teen was sleeping at her mother’s house in the Brazilian municipality of Melgaco when she was woken up by her boyfriend in the early morning of Monday, 6th September.

He allegedly took the teen to his house, where he tried to convince her to elope with him in defiance of her family members, who did not approve of the pair’s relationship.

However, after she refused, he allegedly shot her dead with a shotgun.

The police were called to the scene, where they found the firearm used in the crime, but not the suspect, who is believed to have fled.

He is currently considered a fugitive from justice and is the target of a police manhunt.

Local residents told the police that the suspect was behind several crimes in the area, with theft, robbery and drug dealing amongst his reported transgressions.

The victim’s relatives said they disapproved of and tried to prohibit the couple’s relationship, as Junior was considerably older than Shirley and had behaved aggressively towards her.

The pair had moved in together at the beginning, but Shirley ended up moving back in with her mum after Junior allegedly beat her.

Despite his aggressive behaviour, the pair appear to have maintained their relationship in secret for around eight months before the shocking crime took place.

The search for the suspect continues.