Italian Man Surrenders in "Vatican Sniper" Case

An Italian man, who allegedly targeted random women with an air rifle "just for fun," has surrendered to authorities. The individual, identified as Edoardo Ciardiello Crescimanno, arrived at a local police station on Wednesday with his lawyer, and an air rifle believed to be used in the incidents has been seized as evidence.

The shootings had caused alarm in the Prati neighborhood, an affluent area near the Vatican. The most serious incident involved an Italian journalist, Cristina Stillitano, who was shot in the arm with enough force to require surgery for the removal of the pellet. Stillitano told Italian media that the pellet struck her with significant force near her shoulder.

Another victim, an accountant, reported being shot in the calf while walking home from the gym. Crescimanno, 50, stated that he targeted women at random and had no connection to his victims, claiming he did it "just for fun." He is believed to be responsible for approximately half a dozen attacks in recent days.

Police were reportedly closing in on Crescimanno after tracing the purchase of an air rifle to a local gun shop earlier this month. Investigators had also spent two days analyzing the trajectory of the air rifle pellets, which led them to the window of his apartment. Evidence of pellet marks has been found on windows and shutters in the district.

Crescimanno now faces a charge of causing aggravated bodily harm.