In the aftermath of what is now being called the deadliest police raid in Rio de Janeiro’s history, the Penha neighborhood has become a grim scene of devastation. Over 120 people, including both suspected gang members and police officers, lost their lives during the operation targeting the notorious Red Command gang. The raid, which involved approximately 2,500 security personnel, aimed to curb the gang’s territorial expansion but has since drawn widespread condemnation for its high death toll. Photographer Bruno Itan, who witnessed the aftermath, described the harrowing scene where bodies, some mutilated and decapitated, were laid out in a public square. Residents of the Alemão and Penha neighborhoods searched tirelessly for missing relatives, many of whom were found lifeless on a nearby hillside. The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, defended the operation, stating that the police intended to arrest suspects alive but were met with violent retaliation. However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed horror at the scale of the violence, and Brazil’s Supreme Court has summoned Governor Castro to explain the actions in detail. The incident has reignited debates about police brutality and the effectiveness of such operations in combating organized crime.