Pioltello, Italy: A 30-year-old Peruvian man was critically injured after being shot twice in the back in Pioltello, a town in the Milan metropolitan area, prompting a major investigation by Italian police.

The shooting took place late at night in the Satellite neighbourhood of Pioltello. The victim had reportedly been returning home after going out to buy food when he was attacked near the intersection of Via Cimarosa and Via Leoncavallo. Two bullets struck him in the back.

Emergency medical personnel transported the injured man to hospital in critical condition. He remained in a life-threatening condition as investigators worked to establish why he was targeted.

Police recovered two spent 9mm cartridges at the scene. Initial investigations indicated that the shooting was carried out at close range, although authorities continued to examine the precise circumstances surrounding the attack.

Investigators initially faced difficulties because there were reportedly no useful surveillance cameras immediately covering the location of the shooting. Officers therefore began examining other cameras in the surrounding area and collecting statements from witnesses who may have seen the attackers fleeing.

Witness accounts suggested that the gunman may have escaped with another person. Investigators have been examining whether a second individual played any role in the incident. A knife was also recovered during subsequent searches along a possible escape route, although its connection to the shooting still has to be established.

The investigation subsequently produced a major breakthrough. Police identified a 31-year-old South American man with previous police records as the alleged shooter. Investigators located him hiding in an apartment in Sedriano, another town in the Milan metropolitan area.

The suspect was reported to have been reported to prosecutors for attempted murder rather than immediately arrested, because the legal period for an arrest in flagrante delicto had already passed. Further judicial decisions remained possible as investigators continued developing the case.

The motive remains unclear. Investigators are considering several possibilities, including an earlier dispute that may have escalated into violence and the possibility of a retaliatory attack. Authorities have not established a definitive motive and are continuing to examine witness accounts and available surveillance footage.

The shooting has also attracted attention because it occurred only days after another firearms incident in Pioltello. Investigators are examining whether the two incidents are connected or whether they were separate events.

For residents of the area, the shooting has renewed concerns about public safety in the neighbourhood. Police presence increased following the incident as investigators worked to reconstruct the movements of the people involved.

The case remains under judicial investigation, and the identification of a suspected shooter represents an important development but does not by itself establish guilt. Authorities are expected to continue examining the evidence, including ballistic findings, witness statements and surveillance material.

The victim’s medical condition remains a central concern while investigators work to determine the full circumstances behind the attack.