Italian far-right extremist kills two Senegalese traders

Casseri is reported to have calmly got out of a car in Dalmazia Square and opened fire, killing two Senegalese traders in the market and injuring a third.

After escaping the scene in his car, he began firing at other Senegalese traders at a market in another square, injuring two more people. Casseri later shot himself and was found dead in an underground car park.

Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano described this shooting as a "blind explosion of hatred".

The mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi, has declared Wednesday a day of mourning. Mayor Matteo Renzi called for businesses to stop trading for 10 minutes at midday.

Many African migrants live in Florence and some make a living by selling souvenirs and other goods to tourists. Hundreds of migrants later marched through the city centre in protest at the killings,

A published author of science-fiction novels, Casseri, was described as an introvert type who lived in the mountains in Pistoia. He relocated to Florence a few weeks ago.

Italian media reports said Gunman Gianluca Casseri belongs to a far-right group Casa Pound, a pro-fascist social centre in Rome named after American modernist poet and critic Ezra Pound

The social centre sought to distance itself from Casseri saying it did not support any type of violence. A spokesperson for the pro-fascist social centre said Casseri was "living in his own world" but "not crazy".