NAPLES – A new, dramatic episode of violence in the heart of Neapolitan nightlife. During the night, in Piazza Bellini, the hub of the city's youthful nightlife, a fight between teenagers escalated into a shooting.
A woman was injured after being hit in the shoulder by one of the bullets fired during the fight that broke out around 2am.
Alerted to the incident, Prefect Michele di Bari immediately called an emergency meeting of the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Safety for this morning. A summit will be held with the heads of the police force and the Municipality to analyze the incident and, as stated in a statement, "prepare more stringent surveillance and control measures for the area."
The tragedy was triggered by a violent argument between young people, which quickly escalated into uncontrollable rage. The alarm was raised thanks to the prompt report of an Army patrol patrolling the area. On site, the police officers Flying Squad and the Decumani Police Station found and seized several shell casings, silent witnesses to the shooting.
An attempt is now being made to establish the exact circumstances of the shooting and the motive for the armed clash between the juvenile gangs by examining public and private surveillance cameras.
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The script repeats itself: the symbolic square is a chronic hotbed of tension
Last night's incident is not an isolated incident, but the latest in a long series. Piazza Bellini, with its crowded clubs and bars, has long been the center of controversy. Exhausted residents and business owners in the area have been reporting its progressive deterioration for months.
"It's the same story, every weekend," says a bitter shopkeeper, who prefers not to be named. "Fights, rowdiness, and now even gunfire. Customers are scared, and we're working with anxiety. We've been asking for more controls for a long time; we can't live in the Wild West."
Resident protests have intensified in recent weeks, following further incidents of violence, including knife fights and assaults, which have highlighted the difficult balance between the vibrant nightlife and the safety of residents.
Prefect Di Bari, thanking the military for their timely intervention, assured law enforcement of its "maximum attention," called upon to perform an increasingly complex task. But yet another shooting in one of the city's most iconic squares now sounds an alarm bell, requiring immediate responses, beyond emergency meetings. The challenge is to restore safety to a symbol of Naples, a city that never sleeps, but which awoke tonight in panic.
Comments (1)
The violent incident in Piazza Bellini is very worrying; I wonder why this continues to happen. Shouldn't safety be a priority? Young people should be able to have fun without fear of shootings and fights. We need a serious plan.