Hugo Gabriel Moll killed in mistaken barbershop shooting in Ponta Grossa
On 19 June 2026, 38‑year‑old construction businessman Hugo Gabriel Moll was fatally shot inside a barbershop on Avenida Pedro Wosgrau in the Cará‑Cará neighbourhood of Ponta Grossa, Paraná. Police determined he was not the intended target; the real victim, a man linked to drug trafficking, had left the shop only ten seconds earlier.
Investigators from the Polícia Civil do Paraná, aided by the Polícia Militar and digital‑monitoring systems, reconstructed the sequence using security‑camera footage and the Muralha Digital city‑surveillance network. The shooter entered the barbershop wearing a red helmet, blue jacket and dark trousers, firing a 9 mm pistol, killing Moll with a headshot and wounding the barber João Victor Pereira in the chest.
A joint operation on 28 July resulted in the arrest of five suspects aged 19 to 34. The alleged organizer, a 34‑year‑old with a drug‑trafficking record, is accused of planning the attack; a 24‑year‑old supplied the weapon and logistical support; a 27‑year‑old handled surveillance and the getaway vehicle; two younger men are still under investigation. The case highlighted the use of sophisticated planning and the tragic consequences of mistaken‑identity executions.
Moll leaves a wife, married less than two months, and a 12‑year‑old son. The incident sparked public outcry over violent crime and prompted calls for stronger security measures in the region.
Entities: Drug‑trafficking target · Grupo de Atuação Especial Contra o Crime Organizado (Gaeco) · Hugo Gabriel Moll · João Victor Pereira · Ministério Público do Estado de Mato Grosso · Polícia Civil do Paraná · Ponta Grossa · Prefeitura de Sinop · Secretaria Municipal de Planejamento Urbano e Habitação · Sinop
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The alleged wrongdoing involved soliciting undue advantages to expedite approval of works, projects, and administrative procedures linked to the Municipal Planning and Housing Secretariat.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The operation involved Gaeco, the Support Group and Raio team, the 11th Battalion of the Military Police and the Sinop Tactical Force.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Three search and seizure warrants were executed against municipal employees in the inspection area.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The operation investigates alleged corruption involving municipal employees of Sinop's Prefeitura.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Gaeco is a permanent task force coordinated by the Mato Grosso State Public Prosecutor's Office and includes the Civil Police, Military Police, Penal Police and the Socio‑Educational System.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Searches were conducted at the investigators' homes and at the City Hall.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Gaeco launched Operation Mãos à Obra in Sinop on a Tuesday.
- [● 3 SOURCES] A court authorized seizure of cell phones, documents, engineering project files and other material for analysis.