Published:Sunday | February 4, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni has condemned the drive-by shooting spree targeting African immigrants in the central Italian city of Macerata, saying "hatred and violence will not succeed in dividing us."
Gentiloni said yesterday that "one thing is certain, that horrendous crimes and criminal behaviour will be prosecuted and punished. This is the law."
According to Gentiloni Italy would be "particularly severe against whoever thinks of nourishing this spiral of violence," adding "we will stop it together."
An Italian man who has been politically active with the anti-migrant Northern League has been arrested in the drive-by shootings that wounded six people.
The suspected gunman, who reportedly shot six African foreigners in the Italian city of Macerata, has been identified as Luca Traini, a 28-year-old Italian with no previous record.
The news agency ANSA reported that Traini had run as a candidate for the anti-migrant Northern League in a local election last year in the city of Corridonia. He did not win.
A video posted by the newspaper il Resto di Carlino showed a man with an Italian flag draped over his shoulders being arrested by armed officers a short distance from where he apparently fled his car on foot.
Italian news reports said the man did a Fascist salute as he was arrested, but no salute was visible in the video.