The brutal attack took place on the outskirts of Bucharest around 7:00PM on Saturday, May 31.

According to Antena 3 CNN, Teodora Marcu, who was 26 weeks pregnant, was killed by her former partner, 49-year-old taxi driver Robert Lupu.

He then reportedly shot himself just hours later as police closed in.

Marcu was walking with her cousin and daughter after leaving a children’s party and grabbing ice cream when Lupu allegedly approached them calmly, pulled out a pistol, and shot her four times in the chest and abdomen.

Horrific surveillance footage captured the scene: a man dressed in black walks up to the group before shots ring out. No sound is recorded, but the chilling images show a woman pulling the children away before rushing back to the fallen Marcu.

Bystanders attempted to administer first aid, according to Adevarul, but Marcu was rushed to hospital where doctors were unable to save her life.

Marcu was with her young daughter during the incident. Credit: Teodora Marcu / Instagram

Police released a statement confirming they were called to the scene at 7:09PM, reporting that “on a street in a residential neighborhood, in the Ștefăneștii de Jos commune, a 23-year-old woman had been physically assaulted, by shooting, with a weapon, by a man.”

The statement added: “Two lethal firearms were found on the man, one of which he used to commit suicide. The two weapons were seized by specialists from the Weapons Service of the Ilfov County Police Inspectorate and we are still trying to determine their origin.”

Robert Lupu had written a book on how to win Marcu back following their split. Credit: Facebook

Teodora Marcu rose to fame after appearing on Season 6 of the Romanian version of Love Island in 2022.

During her time on the show, she opened up about her past with Lupu – a man 26 years her senior – who had reportedly first met her when she was just 14.

Speaking candidly about the tumultuous relationship, Marcu had said: “He was always coming after us and it annoyed me. Alex and I really got along very well, and to see him always after you…”

The reality star had taken out a protection order against Lupu in 2021, stating that they had broken up after she found out he hadn’t completely ended things with his ex-wife.

“They lived in terror for a long time,” a fellow Love Island contestant told Actualitate.net, choosing to remain anonymous.

“He knew everything: where they lived, where Teodora went, what she did. He followed her step by step.”

The same source added: “She found out she was pregnant when she was on the show. And when Robert, her ex, found out, he said he was coming and cutting her belly.”

Marcu’s current partner was not present during the shooting. Credit: Teodora Marcu / Instagram

Just weeks earlier in April, Teodora and her current partner Alex Marcu had announced their pregnancy—a miracle, given doctors had told them she likely wouldn’t be able to conceive, according to A1.

She was expecting a baby boy.

At the time of the shooting, Alex was in Chișinău, A1 reported.

According to Libertatea, Lupu had written an unpublished book titled The Life of a Ragman and His Analyses, detailing his obsession with Teodora.

In it, he accused her of cheating on him with Alex Marcu and described bizarre plans to “do something crazy” and “become a magician with proper documents” in an effort to win her back.

Police located Lupu shortly after the attack at a nearby residential complex. As they surrounded him, he used one of his weapons to end his own life.

The investigation is still ongoing, and Romanian authorities are working to trace the origins of the two firearms found on Lupu.