A showdown in Elmas, with the three men jailed. Lippi tells the investigating judge: "They set us up in an ambush."

Two remain in custody, while the third will remain under guard in the hospital until his discharge, after which he will be transferred to prison. The judge has ordered the three suspects in the incident Tuesday afternoon on Via Bassi in Elmas to be held in pre-trial detention.

The preliminary investigations judge (GIP) of the Court, Alessio Trogu, granted the request of Public Prosecutor Emanuele Secci and ordered the imprisonment of the alleged shooter Giorgio Argiolas, 26, from Elmas; Simone Lippi, 24, from Cagliari; and Mattia Secci, 25, from Pirre, still hospitalized at Brotzu after being hit in the face by a pellet gunshot. All three are charged with attempted murder, albeit with the roles reversed.

Argiolas exercised his right to remain silent. The only one to speak was Lippi, who offered his version of events, supporting the ambush theory: he and his friend, he explained, had fallen into a trap. He said he and Secci had been lured to the scene by a phone call asking for clarification, but it was an ambush: the Argiolas were waiting for them, one of them armed with a rifle.

The ordinance

According to the preliminary investigations judge's reconstruction, Lippi allegedly sent death threats to Leonardo Argiolas (Giorgio's younger brother) for hours on the night of November 9th after discovering the latter's contact with his partner. In the hours that followed, a gray T-Cross was spotted several times outside the Argiolas' home. It was the same car that, around 2:15 PM, accelerated toward Leonardo and his cousin: the former swerved, while the latter was struck and wounded in the legs. Lippi was reportedly behind the wheel, with Secci at his side. At that point, Giorgio Argiolas allegedly fired four shots with a 12-gauge Benelli rifle (not a .22, as initially suspected). One hit Secci in the face, likely after he got out of the car, given that there was no blood in the car; the others hit the windshield. Lippi fled on foot and was located at 4:45 PM at the Brotzu emergency room.

Francesco Pinna