Immigrant market traders shot dead by Italy extremist

Two Senegalese market traders were shot dead in Florence by an extremist who then gunned down and critically injured three other men, also from Senegal, at another market in the Italian city.

Gianluca Casseri, 50, known to police as a Right-winger who had taken part in racist marches, then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head as officers closed in.

After the killings yesterday, Senegalese immigrants marched towards the centre of Florence, chanting: "Senegal, Senegal."

Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano condemned the "barbarous killings" of two foreign workers" and denoun- ced "this blind explosion of hatred".

He called on authorities and society to "combat in the bud all forms of intolerance and to reaffirm the tradition of openness and solidarity in Italy". Florence's mayor Matteo Renzi described the assailant as a "clear-headed, mad and racist killer".