Shocking footage featuring a bank robbery in Brazil shows two getaway cars with hostages tied to the roofs. The ordeal started after a heavily armed gang of robbers invaded banks in Araçatuba, northwest of São Paulo.

The criminals apparently robbed every bank in the area. According to reports, they used these people as human shields, which left the city in total confusion and shock.

In addition to endangering the lives of these innocent people, they also put dynamite in the streets as a way to prevent an easy capture.

The police later revealed that the bombs were placed at 14 different places within the city, and they had sensors that would cause them to detonate as soon as anyone approached.

In fact, a 25-year-old man's legs were blown off by one of the bombs after he got too close while riding on his bike. His feet were amputated at the hospital.

The Hostages Were Tied To 10 Cars

In addition to the clip of the robbers getting away with people tied to the roofs of their cars, the footage was also shared showing one of the criminals firing in the air. Yet another robber threw a bag of money at a homeless person close by.

The terrified victims were tied to the roofs of 10 cars by the heavily armed gangsters.

Obviously, the robbers tied the hostages to their cars to keep the police at bay. With these innocent people in their cars, the police would clearly not fire at them.

Apparently, they also used drones to monitor the police as they robbed the banks.

The lives of these people were in the hands of the dangerous robbers. They also set four vehicles on fire as a distraction and a way to block the way to keep the police from catching up with them easily as they got away.

Some People Died During The Raid

The criminals faced heavy criticism for their 'lack of humanity and empathy.' Obviously, some residents will be left with trauma and other emotional scars after witnessing the brutality.

It is not clear what circumstances resulted in the large-scale attack on the banks. According to some reports, a minimum of 50 criminals targeted military police barracks before launching an attack on the banks in the city.

Three different banks were targeted.

Media reports claimed that three people had died during the daring raids, including one of the robbery suspects. However, the gang member was apparently killed by his partners in crime after they discovered he was filming them.

A woman was also killed during a stand-off between the criminals and the police outside the city.

Four more people were injured, with one of the survivors experiencing multiple gunshot wounds. The criminals eventually fled to the countryside, and the city was put under strong security control after the ordeal.

The mayor of Araçatuba, Dilador Borges, claimed to be in touch with the police and the governor.