Armed robbers have shot dead a young woman and injured her friend as they returned home in a taxi from a night out on the town.

The incident took place in the Brazilian city of Salvador in the early hours of 15th February. Two other friends were with the victims inside the taxi when an attempted robbery took place, but they escaped unharmed.

The four women requested the taxi via a mobile phone app to get home from a party they had been at with friends.

En route, one of the women reportedly felt ill and asked the driver to stop the car. While the vehicle was stationary, armed men approached and tried to rob the occupants, shooting at them as the driver sped off.

Local media said bullets hit Fernanda Secundes de Oliveira, 18, in the back and Bianca Martins Melo, 19, in the shoulder. The pair was rushed to hospital where Fernanda succumbed to her injuries. Her friend is in a stable condition.

It is unclear if the robbers managed to steal any of the girls’ possessions. However, the vehicle was reportedly damaged in the shooting.

The investigation continues.

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