Valerio Pagnozzi remains in prison in connection with the alleged shooting of a 27-year-old at the Wikka venue in Parco De Mita, Benevento, on 27 August 2026. According to IrpiniaNews, the judge for preliminary investigations (Gip) did not validate the latest arrest warrant but issued a pre-trial detention order, keeping the suspect in custody while proceedings continue.
The case concerns allegations of attempted murder and illegal possession or carrying of a firearm. All allegations refer to an ongoing preliminary investigation, and the suspect must be considered presumed innocent until a final conviction.
What happened on 27 August
The incident occurred on 27 August 2026 at the Wikka venue in Parco De Mita, Benevento. A 27-year-old was shot and taken to hospital for treatment, according to Gazzetta di Benevento.
The acquired sources do not establish the victim's identity or detailed medical prognosis, and they do not provide independently verified ballistic or forensic records.
Investigation and first detention
Following the shooting, investigations by the Benevento Squadra Mobile led to the detention of a 22-year-old on suspicion of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.
IrpiniaNews reports that this first custodial measure later lost effectiveness because of a procedural notification defect, a point that became central to the subsequent court decisions.
Release ordered by the Naples Review Court
The Naples Review Court subsequently ordered the suspect's release after accepting a procedural objection raised by his lawyers, as reported by NTR24.
That decision concerned procedure, not the substance of the allegations. It did not establish the final outcome of the case.
New detention measure and return to prison
After the release, prosecutors issued a new detention measure. Police executed the new order and the 22-year-old was placed back in prison pending the judicial proceedings, IrpiniaNews reports.
The Gip then examined the new measure. According to IrpiniaNews, the judge did not validate the new arrest warrant but issued an order for pre-trial detention. That distinction matters for readers following the case: non-validation means the latest arrest procedure was not confirmed in that form, while the detention order provides a separate judicial basis for keeping the suspect in custody during the preliminary phase.
The acquired sources do not establish the final outcome of that detention order or any later Review Court decision.
What to understand about the current status
Two points help make sense of the back-and-forth reported by local press:
First, the custody history has turned on procedural questions. The first measure failed on a notification defect, the Review Court ordered release on that procedural ground, and prosecutors then pursued a new measure that led back to prison. The Gip's latest decision maintains custody through a detention order rather than through validation of the arrest.
Second, the case remains at the preliminary-investigation stage. No finding reported in the acquired sources amounts to a final determination of guilt. Under Italian procedure, as in other systems based on the presumption of innocence, the suspect is presumed innocent until a final conviction.
Further developments will depend on upcoming judicial review and the continuation of the investigation.
