Famous Brazilian player Tyson Barcellos Freitas announced the death of his brother following an armed attack targeting their mother's house in Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. The former Shakhtar Donetsk player, now with Sport Internacional, expressed his sadness over the loss of an important pillar in his family.
According to the British newspaper Daily Star and Brazilian media, local police are investigating the incident, noting that three men broke into an elderly woman’s apartment on the beach in Florianópolis. Investigators believe Tyson's brother was unintentionally killed, as the police received a distress call from the attackers reporting an injury in the targeted apartment before they left the scene.
No one has been arrested in connection with the investigation, and the Brazilian police have refused to provide further details, according to the newspaper. Tyson, who played eight matches for his country between 2016 and 2019 and was part of Brazil's squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, mourned his brother on social media.
He posted a photo of himself with his brother and wrote: "I never expected you to leave us so soon, I will miss you, our moments together, and your big smile." He added: "You will remain in our memories, I, my mother, and our siblings will love you forever. We are in mourning, I love you, brother."
Tyson had planned to buy his older brother a house later this year with money he earned from his football career, according to Brazilian media. Sport Internacional expressed condolences to their current player and granted him leave to say goodbye to his older brother Leandro Freitas and attend the funeral.
Tyson's mother, Rosangela Freitas, was previously kidnapped in July 2018 from the city of Pelotas, but police managed to rescue her unharmed. Tyson joined Sport Internacional, which competes in the Brazilian first division, in April 2020 on a free transfer and has a contract that runs until June 30, 2023. Since joining the team, Tyson has played 123 matches across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 10 assists.
