Gunman attacks foreign nationals in Italy
A LONE gunman yesterday opened fire on foreigners in drive-by shootings in a central Italian city, leaving six injured before being arrested, police said.
The suspect’s motive was not immediately clear, but the city of Macerata is still reeling from the gruesome killing of a young Italian woman days ago, allegedly at the hands of a Nigerian immigrant.
Police said all those wounded were foreigners and they later confirmed the arrest of a 28-year-old Italian with no previous record, about two hours after the shooting erupted.
The city’s mayor later confirmed six people were injured – one seriously.
Romano Carancini told Sky TG24 that the victims were five men and one woman.
Video posted by the newspaper il Resto di Carlino showed what appeared to be a body on the ground on a shopping street.
The shooting spree came days after the murder of 18-year-old Pamela Mastropietro and amid a heated electoral campaign in Italy, where anti-foreigner sentiment has become a key theme.
The head of the anti-migrant Northern League, Matteo Salvini, has capitalised on the killing in campaign appearances and is pledging to deport 150,000 migrants in his first year in office if his party wins control of parliament and he is named premier.
The teen’s remains were found on Wednesday in two suitcases, two days after she walked away from a drug rehab community.
Mr Carancini confirmed that all of the victims in Saturday’s shootings were black, and said that “the closeness of these two events makes you imagine that there is a connection”.
Police had warned people to stay inside while the shootings were ongoing. Authorities ordered public transport halted and that students be kept inside schools, which are open on Saturdays.
Italians vote in the general election on March 4.