M'Scala murder scene was under police surveillance

Police are said to be holding a suspect, who allegedly was involved in a shooting which has left one man dead and another critically wounded during a heated argument in the basement of a Marsascala residence.

Informed sources said that the incident happened in the basement of a residence in Guzeppi Lanzon Street in Marsascala, which has been under police surveillance for some weeks. The basement is said to be three floors beneath the street level.

Sources explained that the people involved in the shooting are all well known to the police, and were under surveillance over their regular meetings inside the basement in connection with a series of hold-ups and robberies around the island. Investigators however, are still trying to establish the identity of the dead man who was killed with a shot to his chest. The other man has been hit in the shoulder.

A woman, known for her connection to one of the men and who lives in the house above the basement is said to also have been held for questioning.

According a reconstruction of events, police were informed of the shooting at about 6:45pm. The first officers who arrived on the scene from the mobile squad unit were approached by an injured man in the street who claimed to have been hit by gun fire in a drive-by shooting.

Further investigations established that the shooting never happened in the street but inside the basement, while a search in the area yielded three parked cars belonging to suspects involved in the shooting.

The dead man was discovered inside one of the cars, and was being held by another man who was understood to be critically injured.

Two ambulances took the two injured to hospital, while one of them was admitted for immediate surgery. He is in imminent danger of dying.

Senior police investigators are on site, while forensic experts are conducting thorough investigations.

An inquiry is being held by Magistrate Neville Camilleri.

Roads leading to the area have been closed off.