Two children and an elderly man died after being shot not far from the Italian capital Rome - and the alleged shooter is also dead. "I received a call that I never wanted," said a message from the health assessor on Sunday afternoon Lazio region.
The rescue workers had announced that the emergency doctors had declared two children dead.
The incident happened in Ardea, about 40 kilometers south of Rome.
According to media reports, a man shot a gun there.
Then he holed up in an apartment.
Special forces of the Carabinieri could be seen on television, who positioned themselves in the street and later stormed the apartment.
There they would have found the alleged perpetrator dead.
The city's mayor, Mario Savarese, said on Italian TV broadcaster Rainews 24 that the man had previously made threats.
He suspected that the man in his thirties was mentally unstable.
However, it is not known why he fired at the three victims.
"It's absurd," said Savarese.
Initial suspicions that a dispute had escalated were not confirmed.
The shooter reportedly came out of his home and opened fire.
Several residents had reported shots to the police.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi expressed condolences to the families and community in Ardea.
All of Rome was with them at this "terrible moment of mourning".
Other politicians and party leaders were also affected by the incident on Twitter.