The LGBTQ+ community in Brazil has been rocked by a series of murders and armed robberies of gay men who met their attackers through dating apps.

According to Reuters, at least five people have been killed since March and dozens more have said they have been victims of armed robberies.

One of the most recent murder victims was Leo Nunes, a 24-year-old who had been exchanging messages with a man he met on the dating app Hornet. They had arranged to meet in person in São Paulo on June 12, Brazil’s Valentine’s Day.

But “a surveillance camera captured the moment when two men on a motorcycle appeared in the alley where (Nunes) was waiting, took his phone and shot him,” Reuters reports. A suspect has been arrested, Nunes’ family said.

Brazil has a large and active LGBTQ+ population, but many fear police abuse, making them targets for criminals. “Because of structural homophobia, criminals know that LGBT people are vulnerable. They know they can be more easily intimidated,” lawyer Wanderley Montanholi told Reuters.

Montanholi represents the family of Heleno Veggi Dumba, a gay doctor who was killed in São Paulo in April. He had arranged to meet a man on a dating app but instead encountered a group of criminals who tried to rob him and shot him in the head. Three people were arrested, police said.

A man identified only as Gabriel told the news service that he had arranged a date in March near the place where Nunes was later killed. There he too encountered several attackers. “A man put a gun to my stomach and asked me for the password to my phone,” Gabriel said. His attackers used the information to loot his bank account and charge his credit card to the limit.

Numerous other men have reported similar crimes committed through the same fake profile on Hornet, he said. The profile remained on the site for several weeks after he notified Hornet, he added, although Reuters could not independently verify this.

“An investigation could have taken place before Leo’s case. It didn’t have to come here,” said Gabriel.

Hornet representatives said employees review all reports of abuse and the company has increased the team tasked with this task. A Grindr spokesperson said the app includes safety features and that the company works with law enforcement to combat abuse.

Nunes’ parents described his murder as a homophobic hate crime. Although Brazilian law recognizes such crimes, police and judges often avoid labeling these incidents as homophobic. This, and societal homophobia in general, makes survivors of these crimes hesitant to report them, lawyers say.

“They are very afraid to file a complaint because it could affect their lives,” lawyer Vanessa Vieira told Reuters.