'Tragedy Turns to Horror'... Father Who Lost Son in Accident Becomes Mass Shooting Killer

Long Legal Battle Over Death of Son of Rome Shooting Suspect
Grief Over Lost Child Turns to Anger... "Lived Like a Ghost for 10 Years"

Italian police are investigating at a coffee shop in northern Rome where a shooting occurred on the 11th (local time). Photo by EPA·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] On the 11th, during a residents' meeting in Rome, Italy, a gunman opened fire, killing three people, shocking Italian society when the perpetrator was caught. The suspect, 57-year-old resident Claudio Campiti, drew local media attention to the story of losing his son in a skiing accident 10 years ago as a motive for his crime.

According to local media, Campiti's only son, Romano, went to a ski resort with his family during the 2012 vacation, but while skiing downhill, he went off the slope, collided with a tree, and died from brain injuries.

Campiti filed a lawsuit claiming that the instructors led beginner skiers to steep courses after brief lessons, which caused his son's death. The legal battle dragged on. During that time, the family broke apart. Campiti lived alone in a building in Rieti, Lazio, central Italy, intended as a vacation home, separated from his wife and two daughters. The building was unfinished, with the concrete frame exposed. Having not paid the remaining balance, he was asked to vacate but refused. Living in a place without water or a bathroom, he illegally drew electricity from elsewhere to survive.

The daily Corriere della Sera reported, "Campiti lived like a ghost, holed up in the vacation home for the past 10 years." Driven by a single-minded determination to reveal the truth about his son's skiing accident, he sent daily petitions to politicians and celebrities from there and created a blog in his son's name to pursue the truth. Eventually, seeking an outlet for his accumulated resentment and violence, Campiti frequently visited shooting ranges and became obsessed with firearms, the media revealed.

Meanwhile, the house was completed, and other residents moved in. The residents reportedly filed frequent complaints about Campiti's hostile attitude toward them. Local media analyzed that the refusal of his gun-carrying license application due to these complaints was one of the reasons Campiti opened fire on neighbors during a residents' meeting at a caf? in Rome. On the day of the incident, Campiti took a gun from a shooting range and used it in the crime.

The incident resulted in three deaths and four injuries. One of the deceased was identified as a friend of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Local media briefly commented on the case, saying, "Campiti's tragedy gave rise to another tragedy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.