Brazilian shooting team member Anna Paula Cotta has reportedly been shot in the head at an attempted mugging in north Rio de Janeiro today in a stark reminder of security concerns ahead of this year's Olympic Games.
Cotta, who competed in the test event at the Olympic Shooting Centre in Deodoro and had been hoping to qualify for Rio 2016, was caught at what turned out to be a fake roadblock on Avenida Pastor Martin Luther King in Inhaúma.
According to the Jornal O Dia, she was shot in the head by a group of four robbers armed with pistols.
She reportedly managed to drive her car for a further 50 metres after being hit before colliding with the wall of Inhaúma Metro Station.
Globo report that the 27-year-old was rescued by fire-fighters at the site and was admitted to the Municipal Hospital Salgado Filho in Meier.
According to the Municipal Secretary of Health, she was undergoing surgery this morning and her condition is considered "serious".
Cotta, a psychologist, had competed in the 10 metres pistol event at the test event in April, where she finished 57th.
She also competed in last month's International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup event in Munich, placing 102nd.
Cotta has not been selected for the Brazilian Olympic team.
The incident comes as fears rise over security at the Olympics and Paralympics after members of the Spanish sailing team were mugged at gunpoint in a popular tourist area close to the Marina da Glória venue.
Inhaúma is around 13 kilometres east of the Deodoro venues cluster and 10km north of the Maracana Stadium where all four Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies are due to be held.
Security, despite the well-justified fears, is still a lower issue on the radar of concerns surrounding the Games internationally, lagging behind the likes of Zika virus.
insidethegames has contacted the ISSF for a reaction to the incident.