A feud between two gangs is the lead hypothesis for investigators, who believe that Baris Kaya and Abdullah Atik, the two Turkish citizens aged 22 and 25 arrested by police on the evening of September 3rd in Viterbo, were in the city to assassinate a crime boss. The investigation into the two foreigners continues; they were found armed with a 9mm Browning pistol and a Tokarev assault submachine gun while staying at a B&B overlooking the street where the Santa Rosa machine procession was scheduled to pass shortly after. This detail initially triggered a counter-terrorism alarm that evening, which, as hours passed, shifted focus to the theory of a gang war over illicit trafficking.
The two will remain in jail, as ordered by preliminary investigations judge (GIP) Savina Poli late yesterday afternoon following a custody hearing held in the morning at the Viterbo prison.
Among the leads being pursued by investigators is a probable feud between two Turkish gangs: the Daltonlar, to which the previously arrested Baris Boyun also belonged, and the Casperlar, to which the alleged boss Ismail Atiz is believed to be affiliated. Atiz was himself arrested on August 25th in another B&B in the provincial capital.
One hypothesis under investigation is that the two men arrested on September 3rd were in the city to assassinate Atiz, potentially when he was to be transported to the local courthouse for his custody hearing.