Rio de Janeiro's secretary of security, Jose Mariano Beltrame, called the killing of Joao Roberto Amaral, a "disastrous accident," O Globo TV reported Tuesday.

The boy's mother was wounded in the shooting while his older brother was unharmed.

According to witnesses, the police appeared to be chasing a vehicle with several men carrying weapons when they fired on the car carrying Amaral and his family, confusing it with the suspects' car.