Family and friends of Lucas Leote, the 19-year-old who was shot dead at the entrance of the Lick nightclub near Vilamoura, wore white to his funeral to symbolise their desire for peace and an end to violence at nightclubs.
The funeral was held on Thursday, August 29 and was attended by hundreds of people at a time when police were said to be closing in on the suspected killer of the young man. But as we went to press on Wednesday, 19-year-old António Tavares was still at large.
The shooting happened after Tavares was allegedly prevented from entering the nightclub, apparently because security staff was “suspicious” of his attitude.
Shortly after, he returned with a gun and fired several shots at the entrance of Lick, one of which hit Lucas in the neck. It was reported that the shots were fired from a “high-calibre” gun.
Lucas, who at the time was tying bracelets on the wrists of clients who were entering the nightclub, was rushed to Faro Hospital where he died shortly after.
The alleged shooter escaped on a motorbike which was later found by authorities. The assumption is that someone helped him escape, possibly to Spain.
PJ police have already interrogated the girlfriend and family members of António Tavares, whose photo has been widely shared on social media.
Just hours before Lucas’ funeral, the Lick nightclub where the youngster was shot at was evacuated due to a false bomb threat.
Authorities were called at around 12.30am and the nightclub was quickly swept by a GNR bomb detonation team, which confirmed that the threat was fake. Loulé firefighters also inspected the nightclub as a precaution.
Despite the confirmation that the threat was false, the nightclub’s management decided not to open its doors again that night.
