'I recognised him': Neighbour recalls spotting alleged Ta' Giorni gunman
Resident said she often saw John Agius walking his dog in the neighborhood
A resident recalls the terrifying moment she heard gunshots outside her home and realised she recognised the man, John Agius, who allegedly fired them.
The witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was in her bedroom when she heard two loud bangs on Friday morning.
“At first, I thought they were fireworks because in Malta we’re quite used to hearing them,” she told Times of Malta.
“But after a few seconds, I realised the sound was different and didn’t seem like fireworks at all.”
When she stepped onto her balcony, she heard shouting and saw confusion unfolding in Triq Joseph Carbone. She recalled how police cars began to arrive as people panicked in the street. Her flatmate joined her on the balcony as they tried to understand the events unfolding in front of them.
She described seeing armed police officers in the area but said it remained unclear what was going on.
“It was a very frightening situation because we didn’t know what was happening or whether we were in danger ourselves,” she said.
“We tried to stay safe and went back inside whenever we felt it was necessary.”
The woman said she later recognised John Agius in footage that appeared to show him setting fire to material at a construction site opposite her home. Other residents had described him as a "quiet but volatile man".
“We recognised him because we had often seen him outside his house with his dog,” she said.
Police earlier told members of the media the shooting took place after two men reportedly confronted workers at the construction site. Police said one of the men had set fire to material beneath workers operating in a crane basket, apparently in protest against the ongoing construction work.
While still on the balcony, the witness filmed the moment further gunshots were heard. Screams can be heard in the footage as the shooting unfolds.
The witness said she then realised that police officers had been injured.
The officers were named as Sergeant Johann Vella, who was shot in the face and remains in a very serious condition, and Constable Omar Sharif, who suffered minor injuries.
“It was then that we understood how serious the situation really was,” she said, and at that moment she and her flatmate rushed back inside.
The witness praised the police response and said her thoughts were with Vella and Sharif.
“It was a very shocking experience for us, especially because it happened right outside our home and involved someone we had often seen in the neighbourhood,” she said.
“We never imagined something like this could happen so close to us.”