A man has opened fire outside the Italian prime minister’s office, wounding two policemen as the new government was being sworn in just a kilometre away.
Reports say the assailant, described as an Italian man dressed in a suit and tie, was detained at the scene.
He suffered a head injury as he was tackled to the ground by police, as witnesses fled the scene, reports said.
One of the officers was shot in the neck and was reported to be in a serious condition.
The other was hit in the leg. Italian media said a passer-by had also been injured but not seriously.
The shooting occurred as the new government of Prime Minister Enrico Letta was being sworn in at the presidential Quirinale Palace nearby.
It was not clear if there was any connection between the two events.
The assailant was reported to have a history of mental problems.
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said the shooting was “not an act of terrorism”, but stressed that a bitter political climate in the past few months had heightened tensions.
The shooting on a sunny Sunday morning occurred as a huge crowd was waiting for Mr Letta, who was due to come to the prime minister’s office for a transfer of power from his predecessor, Mario Monti.
The assailant was reported to have fired several shots at the two officers on duty at the entrance of the building in central Rome.
Police found at least five spent shells from a small calibre weapon.
Mr Letta, a 46-year-old leftist moderate, formed a government on Saturday to end two months of political stalemate since February’s inconclusive election.
He leads a broad coalition government that includes members of his Democratic Party and their former rivals, the conservatives led by Silvio Berlusconi.
Mr Berlusconi is not himself in the government but some of his close allies have prominent ministerial jobs.
www.skynews.com
Tags: Italian prime minister's office, policemen as the new government
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