Arsenal defender Pablo Mari, on loan at Monza, narrowly escaped dire consequences in an insane stabbing incident where a man grabbed a knife from a supermarket shelf and stabbed five people, killing one and wounding four others. The Spaniard was among the five people stabbed, but he escaped with an injury.
A 46-year-old Italian man went on a stabbing spree in a supermarket in Milan, and Mari was unfortunate to be present on the scene and he suffered severe wounds to his back. Police eventually arrested the Italian man responsible for the attack at the shopping centre in Assago, a suburb of Milan.
When the victims were taken to the hospital, a supermarket employee collapsed to the injuries and died en route, according to the news agency ANSA, which said three other victims were in serious condition. Meanwhile, another person was treated for situational shock but didn’t have to be hospitalised.
The motive behind the attacker’s actions hasn’t yet come to light, but police have come to the conclusion that the man did show signs of psychological distress and instability. There were no elements involved to suggest that it was an act of terrorism, however.
It has now been confirmed that Mari had an operation on Friday, and he will be out of action for two months because of the incident.
The defender took to social media to explain his gratitude for surviving the attack, especially when he saw someone pass away right away in front of him.
“After the hard moment, we experienced yesterday, both my family and I want to communicate that fortunately we are all fine despite the circumstances, and we want to thank all the messages of support and affection that we are receiving.”
“In addition, we want to send our condolences and all our strength to the family and friends of the deceased person, and we sincerely wish that all injured people recover as soon as possible,”
he wrote.
Monza have now confirmed that the 29-year-old has undergone reconstructive surgery on his back injuries.