Two men have been arrested on charges of attempted murder as part of the Carabinieri investigation into the serious injury to a young man, who was struck in the face by pellets fired from a .22-caliber rifle yesterday afternoon in Giliacquas, Elmas. Within hours, officers from the Company's Investigative Unit and the Mobile Radio Unit reconstructed the events on Via Bassi, where 25-year-old Mattia Secci, from Pirri, was struck in the head by a gunshot and was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit at Brotzu Hospital, with a critical prognosis. According to investigators, the shooter was Giorgio Argiolas, 26, who later told officers he did so to protect his younger brother from an alleged punitive raid by Secci and a friend, who, in an SUV, were reportedly looking for him to settle a score, apparently involving a young woman.
The arrests
The first to be arrested was the alleged shooter, who was immediately taken to the police station on Via Nuoro where, represented by lawyer Luca Sanio, he was charged with attempted murder. In the turmoil, a cousin of the Argiolas was also reportedly hit, but his injuries are not serious, suffering only a head injury. Around 4:30 PM, the young man believed to be driving the Volkswagen T-Cross SUV was also arrested. He is Simone Lippi, 24, from Cagliari, and was also arrested for attempted murder. He also reportedly suffered arm injuries, though it is not yet clear whether from the gunshots that struck Secci, who was sitting in the passenger seat, in the face, or from shards of shattered glass. He is represented by lawyer Antonella Giua Marassi. The investigation, coordinated by Public Prosecutor Emanuele Secci, is still in its early stages, so the charges and individual positions could change in the next few hours. After completing the formal procedures, the two were transferred to Uta prison.
The argument, which apparently escalated into a shooting, may have stemmed from an argument over a girl that had occurred the previous night. Mattia Secci apparently arrived on Via Bassi in the T-Cross with Lippi to settle a score with the younger of the two brothers. The preliminary reconstruction also includes an alleged attempted run-over, but investigators are currently unclear on the details. The fact remains that the victim, fortunately not seriously injured, was a cousin of the Argiolas. Initially, there was also talk of someone in the SUV being armed, but this allegation has not been confirmed.
