Guard at Brazilian vice president's residence shot dead

A guard outside Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer's official residence in the capital of Brasilia was found shot dead Wednesday, the military said.

The soldier's body was discovered earlier in the day "near a guard post" where he was stationed at the Jaburu Palace, a statement from the army said.

There was no immediate information about how the death occurred, other than that the soldier "was the victim of a gunshot." An investigation has been opened.

The soldier was part of the presidential guard, which oversees the president's and vice president's residences. President Dilma Rousseff is at a summit in Russia, leaving Temer officially in charge in the meanwhile.

Brazil, Latin America's most populous country and the world's seventh largest economy, is struggling to contain a wave of criminal violence ahead of next year's Olympic Games hosted in Rio de Janeiro.