Man, 28, killed in Qormi

A 28-year-old man from Qormi was shot dead in his hometown early yesterday morning in what seems to have been a crime of passion.

The murder took place in Drama Street when Stephan Caruana surprised Neville Baldacchino (inset) on the terrace overlooking the backyard of Mr Caruana's house and fired, what a neighbour said, four shots not in rapid succession.

Mr Caruana's wife and four children were in the house at the time.

Sources close to the investigation said the victim was hit three times and died on the spot.

Mr Caruana, also 28, was arrested soon after the shooting which took place some time before 1 a.m. He was under interrogation at length yesterday.

The sources said that Mr Caruana fetched his shotgun when he heard noises in the backyard. He spotted a man and fired four shots in his direction, hitting Mr Baldacchino three times.

Duty Magistrate Antonio Mizzi is carrying out an inquiry.

This was the fifth murder this year and the second fatal shooting in just over a week.

On December 11, businessman Renzo Borg died soon after having been shot twice outside a residence in Xemxija. The police have still not concluded their investigations into this murder.

Therese Sciberras was murdered in her house in San Ġwann in February; Raymond Agius was killed in a Mafia-style murder in a bar in Birkirkara in April and Martin Scicluna was allegedly shot by his business partner in Qormi in September.