The man suspected of having shot a man in his right shoulder on Thursday confronted the victim over a personal matter that has been dragging on after he allegedly defrauded him of €7,000. 

Sources close to the investigations told Times of Malta that Ryan Sultana, 24, had been hunting down the victim, a 55-year-old man from Naxxar named Vincent, who goes by the nickname L-Oranġjo, who is well-known to the police for a long list of fraud cases. 

Sources said Sultana claims that the victim defrauded him of some €7,000, which he gave him several months ago after he promised to get him a government apartment.

The sources said this tallies with the victim’s modus operandi which is known to the police. 

The shooting took place on Thursday afternoon on Triq il-Wied, Iklin, when Sultana happened to be passing by and saw the victim driving by.

Enraged because the victim had ignored several phone calls, Sultana crashed his Toyota Tercel into a Peugeot that was being driven by the victim so he could confront him face-to-face. The two at first entered into a verbal argument, with Sultana visibly angered at the other man.

Sultana then allegedly grabbed a shotgun from inside his car and aimed at the victim while chasing him down the road. He fired three shots but only one hit the victim in his right shoulder as he was trying to escape.

He was found several metres down the road from where the two cars had collided. Blood spatters could be seen on a wall close to the crash site.

Alleged shooter Ryan Sultana soon after being arrested by the police. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Sources said officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit arrived on the scene within seconds and arrested the aggressor. The sources said the man immediately offered an explanation to the police but then refused to answer questions during an official interrogation.

Neighbours said they were shocked to hear shots being fired. "We heard a crash and thought it's one like the many others, but then we heard shots being fired," a resident told Times of Malta.

Magistrate Nadine Lia is holding an inquiry.

Sultana is expected to be charged with attempted murder later on on Friday or on Saturday.