Italian Paparazzo Shot ‘Execution Style’ In Rome

A famed Italian paparazzo photographer has been found dead of an execution-style shooting in Rome, according to local authorities.

Daniele Lo Presti, a successful member of the international paparazzi, was best known for his photographs of popular celebrities such as Beyonce, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Scarlett Johansson.

Sky News writes that Lo Presti was killed Thursday in Testaccio, a district located in the southwest of Rome.

The 42-year-old photographer was reportedly jogging with friends at a local cycling track when he became separated from the group.

According to authorities, the paparazzo was later discovered fatally wounded by a single gunshot to the forehead, an act often associated with contract murders.

The execution-style killing has sparked consideration that Lo Presti was specifically targeted. An officer attached to the investigation told The Daily Mail:

“He was killed with a single shot from a small calibre weapon. It could be he fell foul of a Mafia crime family or someone else who really didn’t want their picture taken.”

As mere speculation, media outlets have pointed to Lo Presti’s hometown of Vibo Valentia in Calabria as a possible tie to organized crime. Located in the deep south of Italy, the area is allegedly home to a local mafia known as the ‘Ndrangheta.

There is also a chance the killing could have been career related given the sensitivity of the industry. A spokesperson for local police told International Digital Times that all possible motives are being explored:

“[Daniele] Lo Presti was a well-known paparazzo photographer and his scoops embarrassed many people. We are not ruling out a connection between his work and his death, and we are looking through all his most recent assignments as well as phone and computer records.”

[Image via ShutterStock]