At least nine shots were fired from two semi-automatic weapons during Thursday’s shootout in Marsascala, which claimed the life of a known criminal and left another two injured, one critically.
Assistant Police Commissioner Pierre Calleja was reluctant to release any names or say whether the injured – one of whom is in custody – were known to the police, citing data protection.
When it was pointed out to him that the Data Protection Act did not cover the dead man – Kevin Gatt, 32, from Għaxaq – Mr Calleja said the deceased had been convicted of theft, drug-related crimes and the attempted murder of a police constable.
Mr Gatt was found dead in a stolen Hyundai Accent with stolen registration plates, in the underground car park of an apartment block in Ġużeppi Lanzon Street, Marsascala, where the shootout took place.
He was with Stephen Zammit, 32, from Fgura, who was seriously injured.
It was the third person involved in the shootout, 45-year-old Joe Cutajar, from Marsascala, known as Il-Lion, who had indicated to the police the site where the victims were. He was slightly injured in the incident.
Shortly before 7 p.m. on Thursday, when the shootout took place, police officers dispatched to the scene following an anonymous call came across a bleeding Mr Cutajar.
He claimed that he had been shot at by two men in a car and led the officers to the garage complex.
Mr Calleja said it was still too early to arraign anyone because the motive had still to be established and the police, so far, only had access to one of the two survivors because the other was still in critical condition at Mater Dei Hospital’s intensive care unit and was not available for questioning.
The indications so far, he said, were that the men involved did not appear to know each other.
Mr Calleja would not confirm whether the police were looking into usury as a possible motive but said that no cash or illegal substances were found on site.
The men were not hooded but were wearing gloves.
Ballistic experts are now examining the Hyundai and studying the weapons used. The forensic team is also looking at tyre marks and spent cartridges found on site.
Mr Calleja said that, along with the Hyundai, the police were examining another two vehicles, one belonging to Mr Cutajar and another belonging to “someone linked to this man”.
The Hyundai had been stolen from Żebbuġ on Wednesday night. This car had two sets of registration plates, which had been stolen from cars in Msida and Birkirkara earlier this week.
Mr Calleja would not say whether the criminal investigation department had any updates to the double fatal stabbing in Sliema on New Year’s Day, in which Duncan Zammit and Nicholas Gera died. He said the press conference was called in connection with the Marsascala shooting.