Arrest Made in Road Rage Shooting Case in Italy

A potentially lethal case of road rage reported earlier this month has led to an arrest, with Italian police identifying and detaining a motorist for firing shots at an amateur team.

The incident happened last Sunday December 21 and involved riders from the S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank.

They were training near Lake Garda when a dark-colored car pulled alongside the group. It apparently fired two gunshots before speeding away.

Video footage was shared on a Turkish social media account, with a link to this viewable here.

The riders’ frightened reaction is clear, with the person on the front of the group visibly ducking.

According to RMC Sport, Italian police arrested a suspect in the days following the incident. Tuttobici has suggested that the shots were blanks.

Even so, the dangerous driving involved plus the noise of the gunshots could have led to a bad outcome. This was noted by the team boss Galdino Peruzzo in a statement. “We are relieved that all the boys are safe and well after what happened,” he said. “This is a terrible incident that we hope will never happen again.”

He stated that the team does what it can to try to ensure the safety of the riders, but added “unfortunately, faced with the madness of certain individuals, we really can’t do anything.”

Peruzzo noted that team rider Marco Palomba had been hit by a motorist last September.

RMC Sport confirms that the team has lodged a legal complaint against the driver, a 25 year old. The Italian Cycling Federation has said it will be a civil party in future proceedings, and has said it will provide legal assistance.

Police suspect that the driver may have been frustrated by being delayed by the group, but also stated that he has “a general hatred of cyclists.”

RMC said that a blank pistol was discovered when his home and car were searched. It said he is suspected of several crimes including aggravated threat and carrying weapons.