Naples, attempted murder in Piazza Mercato: minor arrested

Naples – A petty argument followed a gunshot wound to the hip and thigh of a 15-year-old boy. Five months after the shooting in Piazza Mercato, in the heart of Naples, a breakthrough in the investigation has arrived: the State Police have executed a pre-trial detention order against a young man, who is seriously suspected of being the perpetrator of the shooting.

The order was issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Court of Naples, at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The charges concern the illegal possession and carrying of a firearm and personal injury to a minor under 15, with the aggravating circumstance of using mafia-style methods.

The suspect was located during the night between Friday 16th and Saturday 17th October, at the end of the investigative activity conducted by the Naples Flying Squad.

The argument and then the shooting in Piazza Mercato

The events date back to May 17th. According to investigators' reconstruction, the young man fired a gunshot at the end of an argument over what were believed to be trivial matters, wounding the fifteen-year-old in the hip and thigh.

That night, the boy had been taken to the emergency room at the Vecchio Pellegrini hospital, where he arrived around 3:00 a.m. The initial reports released in the hours following the injury stated that the minor's life was not in danger and that he needed to undergo surgery to remove the bullet.

Initially, the circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear. The boy told officers he had been shot by unknown assailants near Piazza Mercato. Investigations were then launched to verify his story and identify who pulled the trigger.

The images from the cameras were decisive

A crucial contribution to reconstructing the incident came from the analysis of footage recorded by video surveillance systems in the area.

Investigators from the Flying Squad acquired and examined several images from cameras installed in Piazza Mercato and the streets near the scene of the shooting. This activity allowed them to reconstruct the dynamics of the shooting and identify the alleged perpetrator.

The investigations, carried out as part of the investigation coordinated by the Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA), led to the request for a precautionary measure and the subsequent order by the investigating judge.

The aggravating circumstance of mafia methods

One of the most significant aspects of the proceedings is the allegation of the aggravating circumstance of mafia-related methods. According to the prosecution's hypothesis, the alleged conduct was carried out in ways consistent with this aggravating circumstance, a circumstance that led to the investigation being transferred to the District Anti-Mafia Directorate.

The continuation of the proceedings will clarify all the elements of the case and their criminal relevance. The precautionary measure was ordered during the preliminary investigation phase: the young man is under investigation and must be considered innocent until a final conviction is issued.

The Piazza Mercato incident comes amid a city already plagued by violent incidents involving young people last spring. The May 17 shooting had raised new concerns about security and the availability of weapons among young people, so much so that the prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, ordered an immediate increase in patrols throughout the area.