Three brothers dead at Apice: double homicide and suicide at Licciardi restaurant
Gianni, Franco and Donato Licciardi, aged 56, 61 and 65, found dead from gunshot wounds in their restaurant-hotel at Apice, in the Beneventano area.
Three brothers shot dead at family restaurant in Apice
Three brothers have been found dead at their restaurant-hotel in Apice, in the Beneventano area: according to ANSA Cronaca, one of them fired at the other two before taking his own life. The victims are Gianni, Franco and Donato Licciardi, aged 56, 61 and 65.
The tragedy occurred late in the morning, before opening for lunch, at the Licciardi restaurant-hotel, a facility known on the hills of Apice for organising wedding receptions, banquets and ceremonies. Two of the three bodies were found outside, the third inside the building.
The carabinieri, coordinated by the Benevento prosecutor's office with prosecutor Carmine Pignatiello at the scene, are working to reconstruct what happened. Investigators confirm the hypothesis of double homicide followed by suicide, but few details have been clarified so far: it has not yet been disclosed which of the three brothers fired the shots. The investigation is focusing on the motives for the quarrel that broke out between the three in the morning.
The Licciardi facility is among the best-known in the area: it comprises several dining rooms, a garden and a swimming pool.
The mayor of Apice, Angelo Pepe, expressed shock at what had occurred. "Our community is in shock," he said. "An immense tragedy that has shocked and broken the heart of our community. At this moment of discomfort and deep bewilderment, I wish to express, on my personal behalf, that of the municipal administration and the entire citizenry, the most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families struck by an unacceptable tragedy."
Pepe added: "Facing a tragedy of such proportions, every word seems weak and insufficient. There is nothing left but to unite in grief, in respect and in a silence filled with participation, guaranteeing to the families that they will not be left alone and offering them all the solidarity and support of a community wounded but united."
Source: ANSA Cronaca