14 killed in Brazil nightclub shootout

At least 14 people were killed Saturday in a shootout at a nightclub in northeastern Brazil, in what local media said might have been a clash between rival gangs.

"We can confirm 14 deaths," Andre Costa, security secretary for the state of Ceara told reporters. The shooting occurred early on Saturday local time in Ceara’s capital, Fortaleza.

At least six people, including a 12-year-old boy, were injured and have been hospitalized.

Seven of those killed have been identified, including three men, two women and two teenagers, AFP news agency reported.

"It's a brutal scene, a massacre. Something you never see in Ceara," a police officer, who asked not to be named, told news website G1.

Ceara and the coastal city of Fortaleza are popular tourist destinations.

Witnesses said three cars with armed men arrived at the Forro do Gago nightclub shortly after midnight and started firing in front of the establishment for at least half an hour. They then fled.

No arrests have yet been made.

Local media said it was a shootout between rival drug trafficking gangs, but officials said the investigation was still ongoing.

Brazil sees a large number of homicides ever year. Last year, Ceara reported over 5,100 murders, up 50 percent from the previous year.

(CGTN)