 On the afternoon of June 2, 2002, Lopes decided to film at a "boca de fumo" (a drug-selling location) along "Rua Oito" (Eighth Street) in the Vila Cruzeiro favela.Lopes's aim was to obtain footage of drugs and weapons, as he had in 2001 in the favela da Grota within the Complexo do Alemão.It was later learned that before this night, Lopes had recently filmed in Vila Cruzeiro three different times.