BRASILIA – The health secretary of the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, Eliseu Santos, was gunned down, a crime that authorities suspect could have been motivated by revenge, officials said Saturday.

Santos, 63, was killed by several men who shot him Friday night after he had come out of church and was getting in his car.

The health official, who was armed, shot back at his assailants and managed to wound one of them, who was able to get away nonetheless, police said.

Two months ago, Santos reported getting death threats, which according to local media could be linked with his decision not to renew a contract with a security firm dedicated to guarding public health centers in Porto Alegre, capital of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.