Naples brawl erupts into gunfire as men brandish Kalashnikov and pistol in packed square
A violent street fight in Piazza Montesanto escalated into gunfire when one man fired a pistol into the air and another walked through the crowd with an AK-47. No injuries were reported, but the incident sparked panic and led to three arrests.
Brawl turns to gunfire
On Monday evening, 29 June, around 7:30 p.m., a violent street fight broke out in Piazza Montesanto, one of Naples' busiest squares, directly in front of the Cumana railway station and beside the Church of Santa Maria di Montesanto. Witnesses described overturned dumpsters, thrown chairs and the involvement of several women. The clash reached its peak when a man retrieved a pistol from a car and fired two shots into the air, causing panic among passersby. Shortly after, another man, hooded and dressed entirely in black, emerged holding an AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle. He walked through the crowd while some bystanders attempted to calm him down. No one was injured in the gunfire.
- Brawl erupts in Piazza Montesanto near the Cumana station
- Man fires two pistol shots into the air
- Second man walks through crowd with AK-47 Kalashnikov
- Police recover Kalashnikov under a parked car
- Three individuals placed under fermo for brawl and weapons offences
- Fourth arrest after 9mm pistol found in bedroom
Viral videos and police response
Amateur footage of the incident spread rapidly on social media, with clips showing the shooter and the man brandishing the assault rifle. The videos were shared by deputy Francesco Emilio Borrelli among others. The Naples police Mobile Squad immediately acquired all available surveillance footage and the online videos to reconstruct the sequence of events. Officers later found the Kalashnikov, fitted with a double magazine, hidden under a parked car near the square.
Arrests and weapons seizures
Within 24 hours, the Naples anti-mafia directorate (DDA) ordered the fermo of three individuals: Giuseppe Triuolo, identified as the man who fired the pistol; Emanuele Iaccarino, the man caught on video with the Kalashnikov; and Arianna Rossetti, Iaccarino's partner, who is accused of hiding the pistol used by Triuolo. In a separate operation, police searched the home of a 38-year-old man, Gianluca Calvanese, in the Montesanto area. Inside a bedroom officers found a 9mm calibre pistol with no serial number and 12 rounds of ammunition; Calvanese was arrested for possession of a clandestine weapon and ammunition, and is believed to have been involved in the brawl.
Investigation and possible motive
The charges include brawl, illegal possession and carrying of firearms, and firing in a public place, aggravated by mafia methods (modalità mafiose). Investigators are still working to establish the motive. The area around Montesanto has recently seen several 'stese', a mafia-style intimidation tactic of discharging firearms in public, but authorities say this episode may have stemmed from personal disputes or conflicts over the division of illicit profits, such as fraud. None of the four detained individuals were previously classified as organised-crime members.
Intensified police controls
Following the shootout, police reinforced controls in the Quartieri Spagnoli and Montesanto districts. In the course of these operations, 224 people were identified (52 with prior police records) and 77 vehicles were checked. Three individuals were taken to the police station for questioning related to the incident. The investigation remains open as authorities work to identify additional participants visible in the videos.
