A gunman opened fire in the streets of the Italian city of Ardea near Rome, killing two children and an elderly man, the Italian media reported on Sunday. The elderly man reportedly died on the spot, while two brothers, a five-year-old and a ten-year-old, were hospitalised, but medics were unable to save their lives.
The suspect is reported to be a 34-year-old man with a mental illness.
Sparatoria in strada vicino a Roma, ad Ardea. Uccisi un anziano e due bambini di cinque e dieci anni. Ad aprire il fuoco un uomo, che avrebbe problemi psichici, e che ora è barricato in casa pic.twitter.com/30dxirZbuA
— Tg3 (@Tg3web) June 13, 2021
Several photos allegedly taken at the scene of the attack have since emerged on social media.
ARDEA AGGRAVA BILANCIO SPARATORIA CITTADINA LITORALE ROMANO: OLTRE ALL’ANZIANO, SONO MORTI I 2 BIMBI CHE ERANO RIMASTI GRAVEMENTE FERITI L’AGGRESSORE SAREBBE UNO PSICOLABILE DI 34 ANNI CHE POI SI È BARRICATO IN CASA IL SINDACO: LITE X MOTIVI FUTILI. I BIMBI LÌ PER CASO pic.twitter.com/OllZQkxrnh
— damiano (@Damianodanny1) June 13, 2021
ROMA: Sparatoria in strada nel consorzio Colle Romito ad Ardea: 3 morti, le vittime sono un anziano e due bambini di 3 e 8 anni | L'aggressore si è barricato in casa pic.twitter.com/VnBmbdFyG2
— BreakingItalyNews (@BreakingItalyNe) June 13, 2021
"I was there and the situation is now under the control of the police. It saddens me enormously what happened. All the people involved in the incident are local residents, including the person who opened fire. I have provided all the necessary information to the Carabinieri, I hope the perpetrator will be caught as soon as possible", the mayor of Ardea, Mario Savarese, told ANSA. "It seems that everything was caused by a pointless quarrel", he stressed.
