Naples – Not an ambush, but an unmistakable act of intimidation. The shooting has returned to Barra, and the truce, never truly consolidated, already seems on the verge of breaking. On Saturday evening, shortly after 9:00 PM, the eastern outskirts of Naples were plunged back into the nightmare of armed violence: eight gunshots fired from a moving car, just steps from Villa Letizia Park, a historic green space in the neighborhood that has long been neglected.
Whoever pulled the trigger wasn't looking for victims, but wanted to send a clear message. A direct message, which shines a spotlight on the criminal underworld of East Naples.
Residents' alarm and police intervention
The alarm was raised by phone calls from residents, terrified by the explosions. Within minutes, officers from the San Giovanni-Barra police station reached Via Suor Maria della Passione Beata to investigate. On site, in the parking lot adjacent to Villa Letizia, eight shell casings were found and seized.
The shots were apparently fired with a pistol loaded with blanks: no injuries and no damage to property, but the intimidating effect remains intact.
Runaway car and no camera
Investigations began immediately, but the context is making their work difficult. There are no video surveillance cameras installed in the area of the raid. According to initial reports, the shots were fired from a car traveling at high speed, which fled the scene immediately afterward, leaving no visible trace.
Investigators are now combing the surrounding streets, hoping to locate electronic devices that can help them reconstruct the vehicle's route.
Prank or sign of war between baby gangs
At the moment the hypothesis of a "prank" has not been ruled out, but a much more disturbing possibility is also taking shape: that of a possible resumption of hostilities between very young criminal groups linked to the clans historically active in Barra, the Aprea-Valda and the Cuccaro.
Despite numerous high-profile arrests in recent years, these organizations continue to exert control over the territory, especially through retail drug dealing centers, which have become the main source of income for local criminals.
The shadow of the Borriello murder and the internal feud
The murder of Salvatore Borriello, known as "'o pirata," still weighs heavily on the story. He was killed in mid-November on the very same street where the incident occurred. Police are still hunting for his killers.
According to investigators, the clash may have occurred within the Aprea clan itself, currently dominant in the neighborhood. Borriello, 26, was considered a loyal follower of Francesco Relli, nephew of the imprisoned clan leader Giovanni Aprea, aka "punt 'e curtiello."
A name already known to law enforcement: in 2021, the young man escaped an ambush in which a woman unrelated to the incident was injured. An incident that led to the arrest of several members of the Aprea group.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (2)
It's strange that there are no cameras in the area, which makes it harder for the police to find those responsible. Let's hope they can do something more effective to protect the public.
The situation in eastern Naples is very worrying, especially with the seemingly never-ending violence. Even though the shots were blanks, the intimidation is real and frightens all of us residents here.