Italian opposition leaders are demanding “clarity” from the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, after a gun owned by an MP from her far-right Brothers of Italy party was accidentally fired at a New Year’s Eve gathering.
Emanuele Pozzolo confirmed that the pistol belonged to him but denied firing the bullet, which grazed the leg of a 31-year-old man who was among the security entourage of the Italian justice ministry undersecretary Andrea Delmastro.
Prosecutors are investigating Pozzolo over allegations of wounding, dangerous discharge of a weapon and failure to properly look after a weapon, they said in a statement. They have also seized the 0.22 caliber North American Arms mini-revolver and the bullet removed from the thigh of the victim as part of the investigation.
According to Italian media reports, the gun was triggered after reportedly being passed around guests at a party in Rosazza hosted by Delmastro’s sister Francesca, the Piedmont town’s mayor.
“I confirm that the gun, which is legally owned by me and which injured one of the participants at the party, was fired accidentally, but not by me,” Pozzolo told the Ansa news agency.
The injured man, who is the brother-in-law of one of Delmastro’s bodyguards, was taken to hospital, although the wound was not reported to be serious.
Elly Schlein, the leader of the centre-left Democratic party, called on Meloni to immediately clarify the action she intended to take against Pozzolo. “These bunglers are a danger to the security of those around them, let alone national security,” Schlein added.
Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister and the leader of the centrist Italia Viva party, wrote on social media: “Why bring a gun to a New Year’s Eve party, where parliamentary deputies and members of the government are present? Meloni’s government is not a ruling class – they are inadequate, incapable, unpresentable … and dangerous, first and foremost for themselves.”
Meloni has not spoken publicly about the incident, but a statement from Brothers of Italy claimed it had “no political relevance”. “Should any illegal or inappropriate behaviour on Pozzolo’s part emerge [from the investigation], appropriate action will also be taken by the party,” the statement said. “The attempt to turn what happened into a political issue in order to attack Brothers of Italy is absurd.”
Delmastro, who said he was outside when the incident happened shortly after 1am and therefore was not a witness, distanced himself from Pozzolo, who reportedly turned up at the party to “say hello” after seeing the new year in elsewhere. “I told him to come, but never would I have imagined that he would be carrying a gun,” Delmastro told La Repubblica. “If I’d known I wouldn’t have invited him.”
An estimated 1.2 million Italians who are not among the police and security forces own small guns. There are tough laws governing gun ownership and use in Italy. Owners have to go through a stringent process to obtain a licence to buy a gun, and once a gun is bought the owner must notify the interior ministry. Another special licence is required to carry a gun in public spaces.
