Shots fired at a daycare center in Acerra, the owner: "In 2025, I reported an extortion attempt."

Acerra – Seven gunshots fired at a private daycare center and a clear plea to authorities: don't leave those who choose to report alone. This is the message sent by Maria De Rosa, owner of the childcare facility targeted in Acerra, in the province of Naples, on the night between Thursday and Friday.

The woman said she filed a complaint in August 2025 for an extortion attempt that was reportedly linked to people with ties to local criminal circles.

The incident has rekindled concerns for the safety of the entrepreneur and her family. One of the bullets fired at the daycare center actually passed through the window of an apartment on the upper floor. An investigation into the incident is underway to reconstruct the circumstances and identify those responsible.

The extortion complaint in August 2025

De Rosa, a former municipal councilor who resigned in 2023 after her husband's arrest in connection with loan sharking, released a statement detailing her reaction to the intimidation.

"Seven gunshots won't dampen my courage. I won't bow my head. I chose to stand with the state, and now I ask the state to stand with me," he declared.

The nursery's owner recalled reporting an extortion attempt last August, which allegedly involved people connected to local criminal circles. A decision she made, she explained, to avoid letting fear dictate her life and business.

"I couldn't accept that someone was trying to impose fear on me as a rule of life," he stressed, reiterating that he had cooperated with the judiciary, approaching each step "with an awareness of the risks, but also with the conviction that he had made the right choice."

"Investigators will determine who shot."

Regarding the identity of the perpetrators of the intimidation, De Rosa urges caution. She says it's not up to her to determine who fired the shots at one of her three childcare facilities: investigators and the judiciary will have to determine who is responsible.

However, concern remains over what happened and the potential consequences for her family's well-being. The woman doesn't hide her fear for her children and loved ones, but assures us she doesn't want to give up on her journey.

"Today, those seven gunshots seem to be sending a clear message: to remind me that crime is still present, that it can strike, that it can try to scare me," he said. An act that, in his words, deeply damaged his personal peace of mind, but failed to undermine his dignity and determination.

The appeal to the institutions: "Don't leave me alone"

The central point of the statement is the request for protection and support from the institutions. De Rosa affirms his decision to report and asks that those who decide to cooperate with justice be able to count on concrete support.

"Looking into my children's eyes, I find the strength not to give up," she added, explaining that she wants to instill in her children the value of honesty and the meaning of a choice made without bowing to intimidation.

Hence the appeal to the authorities not to leave her alone, and to citizens to continue to have faith in justice. This appeal concludes with a direct message to anyone who finds themselves in similar situations: "Report. Don't let silence become the strength of those who threaten you."

The investigation will now shed light on the attack and determine whether it is connected to the previous extortion charge. At this time, the motive and identity of the perpetrators remain unclear.