A man on Sunday opened fire at a coffee shop in northern Rome in Italy, killing three persons and injuring several, reported news agency AP.
Soon after the incident, mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri said: “It was a grave episode of violence that struck our city.” He has convened an emergency security meeting on Monday.
In a tweet, he confirmed the death of three people in the attack in the working class neighborhood of Fidene.
“The episode of violence that upsets our city is very serious. Three lives lost and seriously injured in a shooting during a condominium meeting. I am in contact with the Prefect and tomorrow I will participate in the Committee for order and safety. My closeness to families,” he posted.
According to the AP report, the shooting occurred in the seating area of a bar called ‘Il Posto Giusto’, or ‘The Right Place’, where a condominium board meeting was being held.
Vice-president of the condo board Luciana Ciorba was quoted as saying by La Republica, a local daily: “The man entered the bar shouting ‘I’ll kill you all’, and then opened fire.” Sme of the people at the site managed to disarm him and hold him captive till the police arrived.
Ciorba said the man was known to the board members and had been previously reported to authorities for threatening locals.
Among the three victims was Nicoletta Golisano, a friend of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Taking to Instagram hours after the shooting, Meloni posted what appeared to be a recent photograph of herself with Golisano, saying she was a friend.
“It is not right to die like this,” she wrote in Italian, adding that Golisano leaves behind her husband and a 10-year-old child. “Nicoletta was happy, and beautiful, in the red dress she bought for her 50th birthday party a few weeks ago. For me she will always be beautiful and happy like this,” Meloni posted.
