Luciano Melo de Sousa, founder of Church of Lucifer, killed in Fortaleza

Luciano Victor Melo de Sousa, a 38-year-old man known as Bruxo Paulo Padilha and the founder of the first Church of Lucifer in Ceará, was shot and killed in Fortaleza, Brazil.

The attack occurred on a Friday morning in the Fátima neighborhood. Melo de Sousa and a companion had stopped at a mechanical workshop to repair a car tire when a man on a motorcycle approached and opened fire. Melo de Sousa sustained gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen, dying at the scene. The second victim, who was wearing an electronic monitoring anklet, was shot in the head and transported to the Instituto Doutor José Frota in serious condition.

Melo de Sousa, who also identified himself on social media as a satanic bishop and the ‘Papa do Diabo’, operated the church in the Benfica neighborhood and owned local bars. The homicide is currently under investigation by the 5th Homicide and Person Protection Department (DHPP). No suspects have been arrested, and the motive for the shooting remains unknown.