NAPLES – Scenes of ordinary recklessness and criminality marked New Year’s Eve in Naples. Videos circulated on social media and sent to institutional representatives show shots fired in the street at human height, children and women brandishing weapons, fathers handing guns to their young children. A true sample of irresponsibility that has shocked public opinion.
The deputy of Alleanza Verdi Sinistra, Francesco Emilio Borrelli, publicly denounced the gravity of what happened. “These acts have nothing to do with the celebrations. They are expressions of a worrying criminal mentality,” declared the parliamentarian.
The consequences were not long in coming. Among the 36 injured on New Year's Eve, two people were hit by stray bullets. A young woman was grazed in the arm, while a tourist was hit by a shot in the lung and is hospitalized in red code at the Cardarelli hospital.
"The videos I received – says Borrelli – document criminals shooting from balconies or in the streets to celebrate the arrival of the new year. Among them are children and teenagers, some even with guns in their hands".
The MP speaks of an alarming reality: “In one of the videos, a father shoots with his little son in his arms and passes him the gun. It doesn't matter if the bullets are real or blanks: the message that is being conveyed is devastating. The risk of hitting an innocent person doesn't seem to affect these people in the slightest.”.
A growing phenomenon
According to Borrelli, the phenomenon of shootings during New Year’s Eve is not in decline at all. “In fact, the videos received exceed two hundred, and in half of these there are children or very young people involved,” he explains. “It’s a disproportionate number, considering that these are only those published on social media. Who knows how many others were not filmed.”
The images show shots fired close to homes, with weapons pointed at nearby buildings. “An unacceptable barbarity,” adds the deputy, announcing that he has forwarded the material to the police. The goal is to identify and sanction those responsible, also involving social services for parents who have exposed their children to these dangers.
"It is intolerable - concludes Borrelli - that a two-year-old child is put in a position to shoot. We need a decisive intervention to combat the use of weapons and protect minors from inadequate families".
A New Year's Eve of Shame
While the city tries to leave behind yet another night of violence, the reflection remains on how much work needs to be done to stem phenomena of this type. "We cannot stand by helplessly as this criminal drift occurs. Naples must not become the city where children learn to shoot before they even go to school," concludes the parliamentarian.
Article published on 1 January 2025 - 22:36
It is worrying to see that there are children and women shooting. It is not normal, but people do not understand the importance of safety. We must act quickly before the situation gets worse and there is a risk of more injuries.