On the morning of July 8, a 35-year-old man was shot dead in the public gardens in Piazza della Repubblica in Rocca di Papa. The police believe the motive was revenge: The perpetrator, 61-year-old Guglielmo Palozzi, had apparently been waiting for the man who had fatally injured his son five years ago to kill him.
Franco Lollobrigida was recently convicted in the second instance for the manslaughter of Giuliano Palozzi and served a ten-year prison sentence. He died in 2020 at the age of 34 as a result of serious head injuries sustained in an accident. His father describes the crime as an "ill-considered act out of deep despair".
Guglielmo Palozzi, who worked as a refuse collector in the town, met the 35-year-old not far from the bus station. According to witnesses, the attack happened at close range - it was apparently a targeted attack. The Carabinieri arrested him in Frascati. It is still unclear whether he had planned the incident or acted spontaneously.
Lollobrigida was initially acquitted by the jury court in 2024, but after the appeal he was sentenced to ten years in May. A lawyer has already announced an appeal to the Court of Cassation. The case sheds light on ongoing spirals of violence and the question of how long deep-rooted family conflicts can smoulder - or escalate.
The investigation by the Velletri public prosecutor's office is ongoing. It is now being investigated whether the acts were a planned act of revenge or the result of an acute emotional emergency.
