A 19-year-old woman has been shot dead in a club after moving into the path of bullets fired at her ‘friend’.
Antonia ‘Antonella’ Lopez was hit in the shoulder when up to seven shots were fired inside a party venue in the early hours of Sunday (22 Sept).
Several blood vessels leading to her aorta were damaged.
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Paramedics tried to revive her, but they were unable to save her life.
It is believed Antonia unknowingly moved into the path of gunshots that were aimed at her friend.
Three young men were injured in the shooting in Molfetta, Italy.
One, identified as Eugenio Palermiti, is believed to be an emerging boss in the local crime scene.
The 20-year-old was shot in the calf and was taken to a hospital in Bari.
Some reports identify him as Antonia’s friend. Others say the two were a couple.
The other two men are believed to have already been discharged.
One was shot in the arm and the other sustained injuries to his face, according to reports.
The shooting was preceded by a fight involving at least 10 people in the beachfront venue.
The authorities believe individuals from Bari’s criminal underworld were among them.
The police have seized the Bahia Beach nightclub as part of the ongoing investigation.
Club owner Nicola Spadavecchia said: “This group came in, and chaos erupted almost immediately. Security intervened, but it was too late for the 19-year-old.”
A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Antonia’s murder on Sunday (22 Sept) night after his mum urged him to turn himself in to the police.
He told the police how he threw his pistol into the sea immediately after fleeing the club on foot.
He claims he was carrying the gun for self-defence and shot Palermiti after seeing him trying to pull a weapon on him.
It is not the first violent death to befall the Lopez family, as reported by Need To Know.
Antonia’s uncle Ivan Lopez was hit by at least six bullets as he returned home on an e-scooter on 29 September 2021.
Two men, aged 31 and 29, have been charged in connection with his killing in Bari.
They are believed to have acted on behalf of mafia clans.
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