A 21-year-old footballer has been shot dead after a heated row over a foul during a match with onlookers describing it as a "scene of horror"
A footballer has been shot dead after a heated row over a foul during a match. Lorenzo Spasiano was killed at point-blank range outside his home as he left home for work in the early hours of Tuesday (June 23) morning.
The 21-year-old construction worker, from the Miano district in Naples, Italy, was hit in the chest by a single bullet. He was rushed to Antonio Cardarelli Hospital but died shortly after arrival.
Investigators believe the killing was a cold-blooded vendetta linked to an argument on a local football pitch in late March. During the game, Spasiano clashed with a much younger player over a foul.
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Words were exchanged, there was pushing, and friends had to intervene. The grudge allegedly festered, leading to further street confrontations in which Spasiano, a keen amateur boxer, reportedly came off better.
The suspect is a 16-year-old youth from the area with family ties to the notorious Lo Russo clan. The teenager is said to have made threats, including via chat messages, which were never formally reported to the authorities.
Spasiano’s father, Salvatore, an ambulance driver with the company Croce Italia, was at home and heard the shot. He provided immediate first aid to his son before emergency services arrived.
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Witnesses described chaotic scenes with initial delays in assistance. Lorenzo reportedly cried out for his mother as he lay wounded on the ground.
The family, well-known and respected locally, has been overwhelmed by grief. Spasiano was one of five siblings; his mother cares for a disabled family member.
The local parish priest, Don Salvatore Cinque, described him as a hard-working lad with no criminal links who helped at the bakery opposite the church.
The neighbourhood association Nessuno tocchi Ippocrate said in a statement: “A simple game of football turned into a scene of horror...We strongly condemn every form of violence.”
Miano lies in the northern periphery of Naples, an area long plagued by clan rivalries.
Prosecutors are examining CCTV cameras and interviewing friends to confirm the link between the March pitch incident and the alleged execution-style killing.