Brazilian police on Monday admitted that a 13-year-old boy was killed by a gunshot in the head while police were carrying out a mock anti-hijack operation.

The boy, Luis Henrique Dias Bulhoes, was killed on Saturday while sixteen police officers were carrying out a mock anti-hijack operation in the city of Rondonopolis, police said.

The cops pretended that they were getting shot at by fake criminals, made of cardboard, and fired back in self defense.

Their shotguns were loaded with real ammunition, and the bullets went through the cardboard targets and the bus glass window, hitting the audience.

Luis Henrique Dias Bulhoes was killed by a single shot from one of the 12-gauge shotguns being used by three of the policemen. Ten other people were also injured.

Police believe that bullets from more than one of the guns accidentally reached the audience.

Seven of the 16 policemen involved in the operation were temporarily dismissed from their positions, while investigations are underway, according to the police.

Source: Xinhua