The gunmen ordered seven of the supporters in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo to lie face down before shooting them in the head.

An armed gang has shot dead eight football fans at a fan club in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Police said witnesses reported that three gunmen stormed the site where Corinthians' fan group Pavilhao 9 meet in the city.

They ordered the victims to lie face down on the ground and shot seven in the head.

An eighth man was shot but tried to escape, reached a petrol station and was later taken to a hospital where he died.

The killings came just hours before the Corinthians clashed with rivals Palmeiras in a semi-final match on Sunday.

Before the team went onto the pitch, the squad tweeted "Mourning" in white letters on a black background, the team's colours.

Officials have ruled out a fight between rival fan groups but would not reveal the motive behind the attack, saying that could interfere with the investigation.

Football matches in Brazil have been tainted by violence in the past.

In February, police shot and killed a teenager when clashes erupted between rival football fans near Porto Alegre in the south of the country.

It is estimated that around 30 people died in football violence in Brazil in 2013.

Pavilhao 9 is not affiliated with the official Corinthians football squad.

It was founded by a group of Corinthians fans who played football with inmates at Brazil's Carandiru prison, known widely for a massacre that left 111 inmates dead that was turned into a movie.

The prison is now closed.

[+] http://www.wetinhappen.com.ng/armed-gang-kills-eight-brazilian-football-fans/

Crime everywhere.

chai