Naples, the gunman in the historic center: "I shot to defend myself."

Naples – He confessed to the shooting that occurred between Friday night and Saturday on Via San Sebastiano, in the heart of Naples' historic center. Giuseppe Muscariello, 19, a resident of the Sanità district, appeared at the police station accompanied by his lawyer, Carla Maruzzelli, and admitted his responsibility before Public Prosecutor Cristina Curatoli and Flying Squad Director Mario Grassia.

"I was the one who shot," the young man reportedly said. "I had argued with a guy in a bar, and he and some other friends were chasing me to beat me up. I pulled out my gun and fired in the air just to escape. Only the next day, reading the news online, did I learn I had injured an innocent person. I'm very sorry."

The ricocheting bullet that injured an innocent man

According to the investigative reconstruction, one of the three 9x21 caliber shots fired by the young man hit the corner of a building before ricocheting and hitting the arm of Germano Saponara, 33, originally from Altavilla Silentina, in the province of Salerno, and employed as a bartender in Naples.

The man, who was off duty at the time of the shooting, remains hospitalized. Some fragments of the bullet also hit his lung, but his condition is not considered serious and his life is not in danger.

A nightlife argument degenerated into violence

The episode apparently arose from a trivial argument inside a club, yet another fight that erupted during a night of nightlife in the city center.

According to the 19-year-old's account, it all began with a provocation that culminated in him receiving two slaps inside the bar. Muscariello, who, according to reports, should have been under house arrest for a previous theft, then left the bar, trying to get away from the attackers.

A version that, however, does not fully convince the investigators, who intend to verify every detail of the reconstruction provided by the young man.

The images from the cameras and the hunt for the accomplice

The Flying Squad officers had already managed to identify the alleged perpetrator thanks to video surveillance footage and the license plate of the scooter used to get away.

The cameras reportedly captured Muscariello leaving the bar and climbing onto a moped driven by a friend as a passenger. Shortly thereafter, while fleeing toward Piazza Bellini, he allegedly pulled out his pistol and fired at least three times.

At the scene of the shooting, forensic police seized three 9×21 caliber shell casings and found traces of blood useful for the investigation.

The young man ruled out any involvement of the scooter driver, claiming his friend was unaware of the gun's presence. This explanation doesn't convince investigators, who are already tracking him and believe he could face legal action as well.

Giuseppe Muscariello is being held in Poggioreale prison, where he awaits a sentencing hearing before the investigating judge.
For now, he will certainly face charges of illegal possession and carrying of a firearm, while the legal characterization of the charges related to the bartender's wounding is still being examined by the judiciary. The investigation continues to reconstruct the precise dynamics of the shooting and identify any additional culprits.