Two influencer sisters were shot dead by assailants arriving on a jet ski and motorboat while socialising with friends at a beach.

Maria Beatriz dos Santos, 20, and Bianca dos Santos, 15, were attacked in the Barra do Ceara neighbourhood of Fortaleza, a city in the northeastern state of Ceara, Brazil, on 1st May.

Maria Beatriz died at the scene, while Bianca was taken to a local emergency unit but succumbed to her injuries.

Bianca dos Santos, 15, poses in undated photo. She and her sister Maria Beatriz dos Santos, 20, were killed in Fortaleza, Brazil, May 1, 2025. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

Bianca was reportedly two months pregnant at the time of her death.

The sisters were popular on platforms like TikTok and Kwai, where they posted mini-dramas and humorous content, amassing over a million followers combined.

Maria Beatriz dos Santos, 20, (left) poses with sister in undated photo. She and her sister Bianca dos Santos, 15, were killed in Fortaleza, Brazil, May 1, 2025. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash/NX)

They also promoted online gambling games, including the controversial "Jogo do Tigrinho," on their social media accounts.

Bianca's boyfriend, fellow influencer Antonio Victor de Araujo, known as "Moscow," was arrested the following day on suspicion of involvement in a retaliatory shooting that injured five people at a football field in the same neighbourhood.

Antonio Victor de Araujo Ferreira, known as "Moscow" poses in undated photo. He was reportedly the real target of the attack that ended with the death of two sisters in Fortaleza, Brazil on May 1, 2025. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

Authorities believe the sisters were unintended victims in an attack targeting Moscow, who was not present at the time.

Investigations are ongoing, with police exploring links to local criminal factions and possible motives related to disputes over online gambling promotions.

(MJ Leidig/newsX)