A 16-year-old boy has died from knife wounds sustained during an altercation on Via Piave in the Saffi district of Bologna last night. Another 17-year-old was injured in what initial reports suggest was a brawl between teenagers. The 16-year-old succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the nearby Maggiore Hospital. The alarm was raised around 10:30 PM by residents who heard cries for help from the street. Emergency services and police arrived on the scene, with authorities subsequently arresting a 17-year-old believed to be involved in the incident.
The conflict appears to have been triggered by threats and provocations on social media among local teenagers. The altercation began in the Velodrome park and escalated onto Via Piave, where an Italian youth allegedly drew a knife and attacked the two peers, one of whom was of Italian-African descent (the deceased) and the other a Bengali (who was injured). The attacker fled the scene but was later apprehended by police. The victims, both born in 2007, were taken to Maggiore Hospital, where the deceased was pronounced dead, and the injured teenager was treated and discharged with a 10-day prognosis for wounds to his neck and back.
Following the attack, police, including the flying squad, mobile team, and forensic experts, quickly identified the alleged assailant, an unrecorded Italian national, who had returned home. He was detained at the request of the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office after an overnight interrogation and is now at the juvenile justice center on Via del Pratello.
