Salerno – The situation of Gaetano Ciccarelli, one of the two brothers accused of the Capaccio-Paestum shooting that killed two people and injured a third, has worsened. Carabinieri officers from the Salerno Provincial Command have executed a new pre-trial detention order issued by the Court of Review, at the request of the Salerno Prosecutor's Office, following an appeal filed by his lawyers.
The incident dates back to July 14, during the Deaf International Festival . Outside the Ariston Hotel, brothers Gaetano and Raffaele Ciccarelli confronted a group of bikers: eleven shots from a 9x21 caliber pistol were fired, hitting three men. Two of them died in the following hours from their serious injuries.
Arrested the next day by Carabinieri officers from the Salerno Investigative Unit and the Agropoli Company, the two brothers were immediately placed behind bars. However, the defense appealed the precautionary order. The Supreme Court of Cassation, in ruling on the case, reiterated the seriousness of the charges against Gaetano, deemed the "instigator, instigator, and moral participant" in the punitive expedition.
According to investigators, the spark for the massacre was rooted in sentimental issues: a long-held, unresolved personal resentment, which Gaetano even anticipated with posts and messages on social media. Not surprisingly, the preliminary investigations court emphasized that his conduct was characterized by "particular brutality, obstinacy, and unscrupulousness, as well as a violent personality."
That night, in front of the Capaccio hotel, Gaetano allegedly first attacked the bikers, slapping and shoving them, then called his brother Raffaele, who, armed with a pistol, fired repeatedly. A sequence that the judges bluntly described as "a widely anticipated punitive expedition."
Investigations are continuing to determine every detail of the motive and the precise responsibilities of the two brothers, who remain in prison on very serious charges.
I find what happened in Capaccio-Paestum very sad: two people dead and one injured. Violence should never be the solution, but unfortunately, there are always situations where this happens. I hope justice takes its course.