Rifle shooting in via della Giuliana, Rome: 50-year-old reported for assault
A 50-year-old Roman has admitted to firing at and hitting a woman in the arm near the Vatican. At least four similar incidents reported on the same stretch of street.
The alleged sharpshooter of via della Giuliana presents himself at the barracks
A 50-year-old Roman man admitted during questioning that he had fired a weapon and received a report for assault on release. According to ANSA Cronaca, he is believed to be responsible for the wounding of a woman struck by a pellet in via della Giuliana, in the Prati neighbourhood, a few paces from the Vatican.
The man presented himself spontaneously at the San Pietro carabinieri barracks, accompanied by his lawyer. Investigators had traced him through the records of a gun shop, where he had allegedly purchased a rifle in early September. Initially unavailable, he then decided to identify himself. The carabinieri subsequently went to his residence to seize the weapon used.
The condition of the wounded writer and other incidents
Cristina Stillitano, the writer struck in the arm on Monday evening, underwent surgery and her condition is improving. The bullet extracted this morning is said to be of metallic material, compatible with a rifle capable of firing at distance. The Rome Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a file for assault.
As hours passed, the hypothesis has emerged with growing clarity that Monday's incident was not an isolated episode. The cases under the attention of law enforcement are said to be at least four, all occurring on the same stretch of via della Giuliana and with women as targets.
New reports from residents and tourists
Yesterday morning the carabinieri received a report from Angela Perrone, an accountant who works precisely in via della Giuliana. The woman told investigators that she had felt "a movement of air at the level of her waist" and then pain in her calf: "I was struck in a grazing fashion". No serious wound, only a bruise behind the leg, which is why she had initially dismissed the incident as the prank of some young person. It was news of Stillitano's wounding that convinced her to file a report.
The owners of a restaurant on the street reported another incident that would have involved two Spanish tourists, who allegedly shouted after hearing the shot, fleeing in fear. A man also reported hearing compressed air shots dying out among the leaves of a tree near him.
Ballistic reconstruction: shots from the building opposite
The ballistics section of the RIS returned to the site of the wounding to conduct surveys aimed at a 3D reconstruction of the crime scene, with the objective of determining the trajectory of the bullet. Investigators believe it probable that the shots originated from the building situated on the opposite side of the pavement where the victims were located. The hypothesis that the shots came from close range, such as from the street or from a passing car, is essentially ruled out.
The carabinieri searched the building on the other side of the carriageway, believed to be the point of origin of the shots that kept the neighbourhood residents on alert. Many, with curiosity mixed with unease, followed the survey throughout the morning.
Source: ANSA Cronaca