Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor:  Lee Bullen, Agency: Newsflash

A mum sacrificed her life by using her own body to protect her son from a hail of bullets fired by her jealous ex.

The traumatised son and his two young siblings survived, but their mother and her partner perished in the attack, which took place in the coastal municipality of Iguape, in south-eastern Brazil on 20th September.

Gun-toting Marivaldo Cordeiro, 56, broke into the house of his ex-girlfriend, 37-year-old Sonia Aparecida Pires Medeiros, where she was surrounded by her three children and her current partner, 32-year-old Elielson Bezerra de Moraes.

Medeiros’ 15-year-old son related the incident to family members, who told local media that Cordeiro fired a warning shot after breaking into the house.

According to the teen, Moraes, on seeing the intruder, ran towards the children’s room, but he was followed and shot by Cordeiro. The children, 8 and 10, on hearing the shots, ran out of the house and raised the alarm with neighbours.

Cordeiro then went for the teen’s mother. He told family members she sheltered him as her crazed ex shot her several times, while saying: “This is for what you did to me.”

One of the bullets grazed the teen’s neck, but he managed to run away and hide himself in the bathroom.

According to his testimony, Cordeiro followed the teen and shot at him twice, missing both times. The boy then fled the scene.

Neighbours, who had heard the shots, came to the shaken teen’s rescue and took him to the local hospital, where he was discharged the same day.

The police were called to the scene, where they found the couple’s lifeless bodies.

After committing the crime, Cordeiro fled to an unidentified property, where he left his car and gun. He allegedly told the owner of the property that he was going to kill himself, before fleeing on foot to a wooded area.

The property owner told police, who retrieved the suspect’s vehicle and weapon.

Family members of Medeiros told local media that Cordeiro could not accept the end of their five-year relationship, which ended around a month prior to the crime.

They said Cordeiro was aggressive and did not like her children. He had allegedly threatened her and her family with death before.

Medeiros’ brother told local media: “He was promising this for some time, even to kill the whole family. He would always say this, but they would fight and get back together. He was violent.”

Cordeiro had allegedly been spotted by a neighbour unsuccessfully trying to break into their house the night before the crime, according to the brother.

He told local media: “I believe he thought that she was already with the guy before they separated, that he was being cheated on. He was a coward. He didn’t spare her children at any point.”

The two victims were buried on 21st September. Police are still looking for Cordeiro, who is wanted on charges of homicide and femicide and attempted murder.

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