There was mounting fear for equine athletes and their riders in Rio on Wednesday as a second stray bullet was discovered near the Olympic equestrian center close to the stable area.
No one was injured, however, and police are investigating to determine where the latest shell came from, The Guardian reported.
The International Equestrian Federation deemed that the dressage competition should continue as normal on Wednesday despite the growing concern about violence in the area.
Security is “on-site now establishing the facts,” according to a statement from the organizing committee, which added that “additional security has been deployed to the venue to support the investigation and to ensure the safety of everyone on site, which is our top priority.”
The National Equestrian Center, known as the Olympic Equestrian Centre during the 2016 Summer Olympics, is an equestrian venue located in the Deodoro area of Rio. The venue is situated on military land and gunshots could reportedly be heard throughout Wednesday as the dressage competition continued.
On Saturday, a stray bullet came through the roof of the equestrian press center, passing over the head of the New Zealand press attaché and landing at the feet of a photographer. The defense minister said it may have been fired by a gang member trying to shoot down a police blimp, which was flying on Tuesday during the final eventing competition.
Then on Tuesday night, a bus carrying roughly a dozen media personnel and volunteers in Rio was struck by what many believed was gunfire while traveling between Olympic venues.
The incident reportedly took place on the Trans Olympic Highway between Rio’s Deodoro Zone — where events including hockey and rugby are staged — and the media transport mall in the Olympic Park.
Two windows were blown out during the attack. No one was hit, but up to three people were injured by shards of flying glass.