New Year Shotgun Blast in Setúbal Kills 9-Year-Old, Injures Cousin

New Year’s Eve was still bright when a sudden blast echoed through Bairro da Bela Vista.The gunshot cost a 9-year-old his life, left his 14-year-old cousin fighting for survival, and dragged Setúbal back into an uncomfortable national conversation about firearm safety, urban crime and the blurred line between celebration and recklessness.

Quick Snapshot

• Accidental discharge of a caçadeira (shotgun) during late-afternoon festivities.

• Victims: boy, 9, died at Hospital de São Bernardo; teenager, 14, in critical condition after surgery in Lisbon.

• Suspect: 25-year-old relative, now in preventive detention on one count of completed homicide and another of attempted homicide.

• Incident reignites debate over Portugal’s rising gun incidents despite relatively low overall crime.

A Holiday Tradition Spins Out of Control

Locals in Bela Vista describe a ritual: every turn of the year, the neighbourhood comes alive with fireworks, loud music and, increasingly, the unsettling crack of shotguns fired skyward. On Wednesday afternoon the celebration turned fatal. Investigators believe the two boys were curious after the adult’s morning volleys and were handling the weapon when it jammed. The older cousin called for help; the 25-year-old relative tried to clear the blockage, the gun went off and pellets struck both children at close range.

The Man Behind the Trigger

Police say the suspect fled north, stashing the weapon at home before turning himself in to the PJ’s Vila Real office. He has no criminal record, holds a valid hunting licence and claims the shot was accidental. Prosecutors, however, point to earlier “joy-shots” in the street and have opened a file for double homicide under Portugal’s Article 131 & 132. A judge agreed there is flight-risk and ordered remand while ballistics and forensics continue. If found guilty, the man faces up to 25 years in prison.

Bela Vista’s Uneasy Truce with Violence

Setúbal’s largest social-housing estate sits on a hill overlooking the port. It has battled the stigma of gang rivalries, drug corners and sporadic gunfire for decades. Community leaders stress that crime indicators have actually fallen: the PSP recorded a 6.3% drop in violent offences in 2024. Yet residents say the perception of insecurity lingers, fuelled by isolated but highly visible shootings like Wednesday’s.

Reading the Numbers

Portugal remains one of Europe’s safest countries, but official data show a stubborn uptick in lethal violence:• 108 homicides nationwide in 2025, highest in 7 years.• More than 20% jump in murders year-on-year.• Firearms and knives remain the top two murder weapons.Granular figures for Setúbal won’t be published until the RASI 2025 arrives this spring, but preliminary briefs already list the New Year’s Eve case as the first homicide of the year.

Why Guns Keep Slipping Through

Experts point to three overlapping trends:

Legal hunting weapons travelling from rural relatives to urban celebrations.

A black market fed by drug revenues along the Lisbon-Setúbal corridor.

Erosion of “fear of punishment” as courts struggle with backlogs, according to criminologist Cláudia Seabra.Portugal issues roughly 1 000 new gun permits every month; regulatory checks exist, but storage rules are rarely enforced inside cramped apartments such as those in Bela Vista.

Political Ripples in Lisbon

The tragedy has already entered the parliamentary arena. MPs from across the spectrum are demanding:• Stricter safe-storage inspections for licensed owners.• Incremental bans on firing weapons in public celebrations.• Funding for youth outreach in high-risk neighbourhoods.Interior Minister João Albuquerque argues current laws are adequate, highlighting “human negligence, not legal loopholes”, while the opposition blames budget cuts to PSP street patrols.

Support Systems for the Families

The municipal council activated an emergency psychological-aid team, and APAV volunteers are accompanying both families. Social workers organised a candlelight vigil outside São Bernardo hospital; hundreds attended, emphasising the estate’s desire for peace rather than police occupation.

What Comes Next

Investigators will reconstruct the shooting once ballistics tests on the caçadeira are finished. Meanwhile, school holidays end soon; counsellors are preparing classroom sessions on gun awareness, hoping to prevent children from treating firearms as toys. As Setúbal mourns, the nation confronts a sobering reality: even in one of Europe’s safest corners, a single careless moment can turn a festive afternoon into a lifelong trauma.