A young Italian footballer has died weeks after being accidentally shot in an attack linked to a leaked s3x tape.
Umberto Catanzaro, 23, passed away on Monday morning after spending nearly two months in intensive care following the shooting in Naples on September 15.
Investigators say the attack stemmed from a revenge mission organised by a local crime boss whose teenage daughter had her intimate video shared by her boyfriend. Furious over the leak, the 46-year-old mob figure allegedly rode into Naples’ Spanish Quarter on a stolen scooter with his 16-year-old son and another accomplice, intending to hunt down the 17-year-old boyfriend.
When they located the boy inside a small Smart car, the boss’s son opened fire. But instead of hitting the intended target, reportedly linked to the same criminal group, the bullets struck Catanzaro, who happened to be in the vehicle.
Critically wounded, the winger managed to reach his father-in-law’s home, from where he was rushed to Pellegrini Hospital. Despite weeks of treatment in the ICU, he did not survive.
Catanzaro had previously played for lower-division sides Rione Terra Calcio and Monteruscello Calcio, and was remembered by former coaches as a respectful and well-mannered young man whose career had been complicated by recurring health issues, not criminal activity.
Authorities say Catanzaro had no role at all in the dispute that led to his death. Police have made multiple arrests, including several minors, as the investigation into the botched ambush continues.
