Airgun pellet fired from Rome window injures woman near Vatican

Airgun shooting on Via della Giuliana

A 50-year-old pedestrian sustained an injury on Monday, 14 September 2026, while walking along the sidewalk of Via della Giuliana in Rome's central Prati district. The incident occurred around 18:30 as the woman walked alongside a ground-floor restaurant that remained closed at that hour. A projectile fired from an upper-floor window of an overlooking residential building struck the pedestrian in the left arm and shoulder area. The victim felt a sudden sharp onset of pain and discovered a blood stain on her sleeve shortly after the impact. Officers from the local Prati Carabinieri station responded to the location, situated approximately 300 metres from the Vatican walls, after receiving reports of gunfire in the neighbourhood.

Emergency response and hospital admission

Following the shooting, the injured woman immediately dialed the single emergency dispatch number 112 to request assistance from law enforcement and medical services. Because dispatchers had no ambulance immediately available to respond to the scene, the pedestrian took a taxi to reach urgent medical care. She traveled just over three kilometres across the district to the emergency department of Santo Spirito Hospital. Attending physicians classified her condition as a light injury and admitted her to the emergency unit. The medical team scheduled a surgical intervention to extract the projectile, which had lodged itself directly into the triceps muscle of her left arm.

Ballistic analysis and weapon examination

Preliminary findings by Carabinieri investigators indicate that the projectile was discharged from a compressed air pistol or rifle. Officers examining the injury and the scene confirmed that the round had a mushroom-shaped structure typical of airgun ammunition. Authorities are conducting tests to establish whether the projectile consists of hard plastic, ceramic, or lead. Because the pellet carried sufficient force to pierce clothing and lodge into deep muscle tissue, investigators are calculating velocity and firing distance. Ballistics specialists are evaluating sightlines and angles from multi-storey apartment windows overlooking Via della Giuliana to pinpoint the exact window used in the attack.

Prior targeting reports and ongoing manhunt

The shooting follows several complaints filed by local residents regarding similar shooting incidents along the same street over recent days. According to information gathered by the Carabinieri, several other female pedestrians walking along this section of Via della Giuliana, 300 metres from the Vatican walls, reported being targeted by projectile fire from upper windows. None of the earlier individuals sustained physical hits prior to Monday's shooting. An eyewitness at the scene informed investigators that the perpetrator appeared to target female pedestrians exclusively, adding that earlier misses were purely fortunate. Carabinieri officers continue to inspect residential buildings and conduct door-to-door inquiries along Via della Giuliana to identify and locate the shooter.