A 63-year-old man shot and killed his wife and his son on Wednesday in Camaiore, a town of about 31,000 residents in Tuscany, Italy. Authorities say there may have been a homophobic motive. The suspect was arrested and questioned on charges of double murder.
According to official statements, the man killed the 52-year-old wife and the 24-year-old son with a hunting rifle in the garden of the family home. He then put the rifle back inside the house, waited for the alerted Carabinieri, and surrendered without resistance.
Media reports say that the man allegedly fired first at his son and then at his wife, who had tried to shield him from the shots.
Homophobia as a motive?
The exact motive remains unclear. Italian media, citing neighbors and relatives, reported long-standing tensions within the family. Several outlets also linked the incident to the son’s sexual orientation, which the father reportedly did not accept.
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The report references an older post by the son on social media from 2022. In it, he reportedly spoke about the strained relationship with his father and wrote that the father would rather see him dead than gay. In further reports, the amateur singer — who was said to have used the stage name Michelangelo and the mother’s surname on social media — also spoke of his father’s homophobia, while praising his mother’s support.
