Leonardo Mocci, the 23-year-old bricklayer killed by a gunshot to the chest during the night in Monserrato, in the metropolitan city of Cagliari, had spent the evening with friends in a house in Piazza Settimio Severo . The young man was struck by a single gunshot to the chest , leaving him with no chance of survival.
According to initial reconstructions, the victim stayed with friends in an apartment until midnight, then they went out into the street together. Perhaps the 23-year-old was on his way back to Villacidro. He had moved about 40-50 meters from the entrance to the building when he was approached and shot in the chest. A close-range bullet left him with no chance of escape. Mocci ran a few meters before falling to the ground, lifeless.
The murder took place a few minutes before 12:15 a.m., when a call to 118 arrived at the scene reporting a young man lying on the ground in the street.
The 118 ambulance arrived immediately, and paramedics attempted to revive the bricklayer for a long time, but were unsuccessful. The bullet likely pierced his heart . The investigation is being conducted by the Carabinieri of the Quartu Company and their colleagues from the Investigative Unit of the Cagliari Provincial Command. The area has been cordoned off for the investigation.
Investigators are working tirelessly to identify the killer, or killers. They are interviewing local residents: there are many homes around the street where the murder took place, and someone may have seen or heard something crucial. CCTV footage is also being examined. Efforts are also underway to reconstruct the 23-year-old's last hours and his social life, to determine a possible motive. The friends who spent the evening with him have been identified, and investigators are interviewing them at the Quartu police station.
It's currently unclear whether the victim arrived at the building's entrance after leaving an apartment or was arriving to meet someone. It could be a settling of scores; the investigation may be at a turning point, even though the utmost secrecy is being maintained.
The young man's body was transferred to the Brotzu Forensic Medicine Center, where an autopsy will be performed today by coroner Roberto Demontis. Results are expected this evening.
Raffaele Serreli