At least 6 foreigners injured in drive-by shootings in central Italy

At least six people were wounded by an Italian man who repeatedly opened fire in the streets of Macerata, central Italy, on Saturday.

All of those injured were foreigners, and the suspect was arrested shortly after the attacks, according to the mayor and police.

One of the injured persons rescued by healthcare professional after being shot by gun fire from a vehicle on passersby in the central Italian town of Macerata, February 3, 2018. [Photo: IC/ANSA/Guido Picchio]

The series of shootings began at around 11 a.m. local time, with the suspect driving across the city, and shooting from his car window in several areas, including the train station.

The mayor called on residents to stay indoors until the danger was over with messages on Facebook. Local police also informed the population of the incident on twitter, urging them to "avoid open places."

"Shots fired in Macerata, people injured, police operation underway," police warned. 

The man, 28, was detained after about two hours. He had an Italian flag wrapped around his shoulders, when he was stopped by police near the city's war memorial, and did not resist the arrest, according to local media.

He did raise his arm in a Fascist-style salute, before being brought away by Italy's military Carabinieri police, La Repubblica daily said. 

The newspaper also reported at least five of the people wounded in the multiple shootings were hospitalized, with one of them undergoing surgery, according to police. Local media said the attack was racially motivated.

On Jan. 31, an 18-year-old girl was found dead in Macerata, her body dismembered and hidden in two separate suitcases. A 29-year-old Nigerian national was arrested over the killing. Some witnesses would have seen him carrying at least one of the suitcases, and some of the girl's clothes would have been found in his apartment, Ansa news agency reported citing judicial sources.

However, the cause of her death was not clear yet, after a preliminary autopsy. She had left a drug rehabilitation center two days before her body was found.

The episode sparked shock and anger across the country, inflaming the mood of the on-going electoral campaign for elections in early March. Anti-immigrants comments were launched from right-wing politicians. 

The Nigerian man lived in one of the areas in Macerata where the suspect shot fire on Saturday.