Lucrezia Ciotti Three hunters were found dead in a wooded, rugged area in Montagnareale, Messina , killed by rifle shots during what was supposed to be a routine hunting trip. The dramatic discovery yesterday evening, Wednesday, January 28, sparked an immediate investigation by the Carabinieri and the Patti Prosecutor's Office, tasked with reconstructing a sequence of events that remains shrouded in mystery.
Tragedy in the woods near Messina: three hunters found dead.
The discovery of three hunters dead in a particularly rugged wooded area in the Caristia district of Montagnareale has sparked dismay and grief throughout the Nebrodi region. The three men had left their home yesterday morning , Wednesday, January 28, to engage in routine hunting in an area known for its abundance of wildlife, particularly the Nebrodi black pig , and for its frequent visits by hunting enthusiasts.
The alarm was reportedly raised by an acquaintance, suspicious of their failure to return and the lack of news. He wandered along a secluded path, came across the bodies, and immediately alerted the police. The three were still wearing their hunting gear, and a rifle was found next to at least one of them.
When the Carabinieri and the magistrate on duty from the Patti Prosecutor's Office, Angelo Vittorio Cavallo, arrived, the scene immediately appeared complex and dramatic.
The first findings of the coroner would have highlighted wounds compatible with rifle shots , some of which were described as particularly close and devastating, a sign of a violent and rapid action.
Messina, three hunters found dead in the woods: killed by rifle shots. Who they are and what we know so far.
As reported by Sky Tg24 , the victims are Davis Pino, 25 , and his brother Giuseppe Pino, 43 , both residents of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and known as construction contractors, and Antonio Gatani, 83 , originally from Librizzi. All had no criminal record and were considered expert mountaineers.
The area was immediately closed to the public, while a long night of interrogations began at the police station in Patti: dozens of family members, friends, and acquaintances of the victims were interviewed , including the elder Gatani's usual hunting companion, to determine whether he was present in the woods at the time of the events. Investigators are trying to determine whether there was any previous contact between the three men , considering that, according to some rumors, Gatani did not know the Pino brothers.
Several hypotheses remain open : from a sudden argument that degenerated into a double homicide followed by suicide, to a hunting accident, to the possible involvement of a fourth person who then fled through the thick vegetation. The autopsy and ballistic tests , already ordered by the Prosecutor's Office, will provide decisive information on the trajectory of the shots, the distance from which they were fired, and the use of the seized weapons. These will be crucial steps in shedding light on a case that continues to leave the local population in disbelief and shock.