[WATCH] Saviour Gaffarena and cousin Vince are victims of Mqabba drive-by shooting, two arrested

Two men have been arrested by police after Mqabba men Saviour Gaffarena, 27, was shot dead on Triq il-Konvoj ta’ Santa Marija, in Mqabba, yesterday at around 11:30pm. Another man, his cousin Vince Gaffarena 17, was wounded in the shooting and hospitalised.

The two men, aged 19 and 18, were arrested in Kirkop and are prime suspects in the murder. 

Two others, a man aged 17 and a woman, 21, were also held by the police.

Saviour Gaffarena was found dead with a shot in his head. Vince Gaffarena was shot in the chest and the face, but in all three shots were reported by the police. The evidence is still being analysed to determine what type of gun was used.

Photo released by Malta police force

Bullet casings were found in the area where the attack was carried out. 

A police spokesperson said a motive was yet to be established, and that it was waiting for Gaffarena to be in a stable condition. The Gaffarenas have already been questioned by police in connection to drug trafficking and various other crimes.

Police sources speaking to One News believe the shooting could have been a drive-by murder attempt, with the killers driving a motorcycle, however a police spokesperson as yet there was no motorcyle involved in the case. 

The shooting could have occurred outside of Mqabba, near Zurrieq, but one of the victims eventually drove in a Renault car to the spot in Mqabba where a fireworks display on Wednesday night.

As police and ambulances arrived on the scene of the murder, the 27-year-old was certified dead on arrival.