Gunman opens fire on foreigners in Italian town; arrested
Paramedics, background center, attend a wounded man after a shooting broke out in Macerata, Italy, Saturday, February 3, 2018 (AP) Paramedics, background center, attend a wounded man after a shooting broke out in Macerata, Italy, Saturday, February 3, 2018 (AP)
At least six foreigners were badly injured, one of them with life-threatening injuries after a man opened fire on passerby in the central Italian city of Macerata on Saturday, local media reported. Italian city officials have confirmed the arrest of a 28-year-old suspect with no previous criminal record.
The shooting spree came days after the killing 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 capitalized 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 dismembered remains were found Wednesday in two suitcases, two days after she walked away from a drug rehab community. Macerata Mayor Romano Carancini hinted that both the events could have a connection.
The news agency ANSA reported that the car was seen in the area where the woman’s body was found and also near where the suspect lived. A video posted by il Resto di Carlino Video showed appeared to be a body on the ground on a shopping street. 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.
– with inputs from AP
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