On 5 March 2018, Idy Diene, a 54-year-old
Senegalese
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠...
immigrant, was fatally shot near the central
Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
Ponte Amerigo Vespucci is a bridge over the Arno River in Florence, Italy and named after Florence-born explorer Amerigo Vespucci. It joins the Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci to the Lungarno Soderini. To the east is the Ponte alla Carraia.
This bridg ...
in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The shooter, who was identified as Roberto Pirrone, turned himself in to the police.
While the police have deemed that the shooting was not racially or politically motivated, local African immigrant communities have held protests, citing the murder as prejudiced.
Timeline
On the morning of 5 March 2018, Roberto Pirrone left his house with a gun, intending to kill himself. He then changed his mind and decided to shoot anyone he encountered, believing that he would not be a burden to his family in prison. After trying and failing to commit suicide, he pointed his gun at a mother with a child, but decided not to shoot them. He then saw Idy Diene, a Senegalese trader, and shot him three times in quick succession. Pirrone then turned himself in to the police. A medical team managed to revive the victim, who died forty minutes later. The crime scene was cordoned off by the police.
Suspect
Pirrone explained to the police that he wanted to kill himself for economic reasons while breaking into tears. A farewell note to his daughter was found in his home in the
Oltrarno district not far from the bridge. The police confirmed that there was no racist intent in the perpetrated murder. Pirrone was an arms collector and leftist militant. During a search of his house, the Italian police discovered numerous weapons and relics of the former
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
Reactions
The Senegalese community in Florence protested against the shooting, believing that it was racially motivated. A group of Senegalese immigrants went to the Florentine town hall to confront the
mayor of Florence
The Mayor of Florence is an elected politician who, along with Florence's City Council of 36 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Florence. The title is the equivalent of Lord Mayor in the meaning of an actual executive leade ...
,
Dario Nardella
Dario Nardella (born 20 November 1975, Torre del Greco) is an Italian politician who has been the Mayor of Florence since 26 May 2014 and the first Metropolitan Mayor of Florence since 1 January 2015.
On 1 February 2020, Nardella encouraged Ita ...
. The police intervened in riot gear to contain the protest. The mayor condemned the murder and extended the support of the city to the victim's family and the broader Senegalese community. He further condemned the violence and rioting. The mayor participated in the anti-racist demonstration that took place in Florence on March 10, 2018 and visited the scene of the murder, where he was confronted by a group of protesters.
See also
*
Racism in Italy
Racism in Italy deals with the relationship between Italians and other populations of different ethnicities and/or nationalities which has existed throughout the country's history.
These ideas, albeit already common in relation to the intern ...
*
2011 Florence shootings
On 13 December 2011, an armed attack occurred in Florence. Two market traders from Senegal, 40-year-old Samb Modou, and 54-year-old Diop Mor, were killed by Gianluca Casseri, who wounded three other Senegalese traders in another market. According ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Florence shootings
2018 murders in Italy
21st century in Florence
Deaths by firearm in Italy
March 2018 crimes in Europe
March 2018 events in Italy
Murder in Italy
Events in Florence