Shooting outside nursery school prompts calls for more police in Italy

Two people were injured in a shooting outside a nursery school in the Italian capital on Thursday, prompting local authorities to appeal for more police across the city.

The shooting occurred outside a kindergarten in the southern Magliana neighborhood at around 8.50 a.m. local time, Ansa news agency reported.

The alleged target of the attack was a 34-year-old man, who was shot while sitting in his car by a single assailant on a scooter before the eyes of other parents and teachers.

The victim was accompanied by his partner, and the couple had just dropped their children at the nursery when the shooting occurred.

The man was hit several times, including in his head, and was brought to hospital in serious conditions, according to Ansa citing police sources. The woman was hit in her groin, but her wounds would not be life threatening.

The investigation was carried out by the police's flying squad, while Rome mayor Virginia Raggi appealed to the Interior Ministry for more security forces.

"I am outraged by the shooting outside the nursery school in Magliana," Raggi wrote on Twitter.

"Rome needs an appropriate number of police forces, as Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has announced. Waiting further is not possible," she added.

According to preliminary information gathered by police, the victim had drug and exploitation charges on his criminal records, and had received an 8-month sentence in jail for extortion in the past, local media reported.

In October, Interior Minister Salvini had announced the government's plan to hire 10,000 people to boost law enforcement agencies overall, at least 6,000 of which in the various police forces.