Police in Mãe do Rio responded to multiple gunshots heard by residents at a residential block on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and found 21‑year‑old TikToker Evelyn Lima Dantas dead outside a house.
Two men allegedly entered the house, dragged Dantas outside, and shot her several times before fleeing in a car. Officers also noted spray‑painted letters “TCP” on the wall, a possible reference to the Terceiro Comando Puro gang.
Dantas had been in police custody since July while authorities investigated the killing of a local sergeant, and she was released on provisional terms on Sept. 9, a week before the fatal shooting.
A Military Police commander told reporters that investigators are working on the hypothesis of retaliation or evidence destruction by a criminal faction, noting it is a priority line of inquiry.
Dantas had amassed more than 150,000 followers on TikTok and a deactivated Instagram account before her account went inactive in January 2025.
The investigation remains active, with police examining the sequence of her arrest, release, and murder to determine if the events are linked or if another motive was involved.