Update 2 | Attard murder: Suspect taken to Mater Dei under police escort

The main suspect in Friday's drive-by shooting in Attard is reportedly in police custody and has been taken to Mater Dei Hospital • Sources say no bullet casings have been found on site

Police on the scene of the crime on Mdina Road, Attard. Photo: James Bianchi
Police on the scene of the crime on Mdina Road, Attard. Photo: James Bianchi

The main suspect in the killing of Angelo Mangion, 58 from Qormi, who was gunned down last night in an upholstery shop in Attard, has been taken to Mater Dei Hospital by the police suffering from drug dependency symptoms, MaltaToday has learned.

The man was one of four men arrested by the police last night following the drive-by shooting in Mdina Road, in which the shop owner, 61-year-old Raymond Grima suffered grievous injuries after also being shot three times.

Mangion was shot four times inside the shop - Raymond Upholstery Sofas, before the shooter made a getaway on a motorbike heading in the direction of Rabat.

The victim Angelo Mangion, 58
The victim Angelo Mangion, 58

MaltaToday is also informed that police investigators found no bullet casings on the site, despite reports of 10 bullets having being fired into the garage.

This would mean that the shooter would have taken precautions to prepare a casing or rudimentary bag to catch the casings automatically once they were ejected each time the firearm was fired.

It is still unclear what type of firearm was used and what calibre the bullets fired were. Early reports in some sections of the media saying that a revolver had been used were dismissed once it became known that 10 shots had been fired and that the shooter did not stop to reload his weapon while firing.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday
Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday
Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday
Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

 

Sources have said that the police as yet have no conclusive evidence to arraign anyone.

The owner of the shop - Raymond Upholstery Sofas - is Raymond Grima, 61, from Iklin, who did not employ any workers in his shop, except for his son, who MaltaToday is informed left the shop at around 5pm.

Grima was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital to be operated upon in an attempt to save his life.

Before being operated on, police officers managed to speak with Grima, who informed them that he did not know who the murdered person was. Grima was said to have told the police that the man walked into his shop shortly before a motorbike stopped outside. The driver was reported to have walked in and fired shots from what appeared to be an automatic weapon.

According to witnesses, the motorbike drove off in the direction of Rabat where an extensive search involving some 20 Rapid Intervention Unit vehicles, as well as an Armed Forces helicopter was underway.

Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar, as well as assistant commissioner Ian Abdilla, Superintendent Anthony Cassar, and deputy commissioner Silvio Valletta went on site.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja is leading the inquiry.

The police appealed to the public for information, which may be passed on in confidence on number 119.