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The death of Shimpei Tominaga has shaken Udine and Italy. The news of the death of the 56-year-old, who was punched while trying to quell a fight, has gone around the peninsula, especially for the altruistic spirit shown by the victim, who is well-known and integrated into the economic and social fabric of the capital of Friuli. For these very reasons, the Municipality of Udine has proclaimed a day of mourning for today, as a sign of condolences, closeness and reflection. The Mayor of Udine Alberto Felice De Toni, who signed the measure, wants to demonstrate the closeness of the entire city to the pain of the Tominaga family. “We believe we are interpreting the feelings of the entire community, deeply affected by the news of the tragic death of the Japanese entrepreneur, who courageously intervened in a fight and was fatally shot. A courageous gesture that was unfortunately followed by a terribly painful epilogue”.
The Municipality’s flag will therefore be blackened or at half-mast in all public buildings. The mayor also invites citizens, institutions and owners of productive activities to express their condolences and participate in the city’s mourning, in the forms and ways deemed most appropriate.
The mayor of Gorizia, Rodolfo Ziberna: participation in the mourning for Tominaga’s death
I am very saddened by the passing of Shimpei Tominaga, who died in Udine for a gesture of humanity, struck to death by a punch thrown by a young criminal while he was trying to break up a fight. I express strong closeness to the family. This is an episode that affects us all because the increase in violence in cities is reaching unacceptable levels, forcing people to be afraid and not to leave their homes in the evening.
In Gorizia, fortunately, the situation has not reached these levels, but there are some signs that we cannot minimize and on this there must be zero tolerance towards any act of violence perpetrated by anyone. An episode recently occurred at the municipal swimming pool involving some young people who started a fight, heavily influencing the recreational activity that was taking place even with families who were enjoying the evening. And this is unacceptable. Therefore, also alarmed by what is happening in Udine and Trieste, in reference to the increasing violent acts among both adults and minors, I sent a letter to the Prefect, Police Commissioner, Territorial Commander of the Carabinieri and for information to the regional councilor Pierpaolo Roberti with which I asked for a meeting to verify what measures can be put in place in order to prevent and combat these phenomena which legitimately alarm our fellow citizens.
A few minutes after receiving the letter, the prefect called a meeting between the police forces and the Municipality of Gorizia, in which I participated with the local police commander Marco Muzzatti. We cannot and do not intend to underestimate episodes like this, because we want Gorizia to remain the beautiful, liveable and family-friendly city that everyone knows and appreciates. At our side we have recorded the total collaboration of the Prefecture and the police who, moreover, have been carrying out an important prevention action for some time by intercepting, for example, young people who use the train to come to Gorizia and sending them back to their places of origin . I reiterate forcefully: these thugs must know that Gorizia doesn’t want them!
In recent days, on the occasion of his visit to the city, I asked the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi for a reinforcement of police personnel for 2025, precisely to guarantee the safety of citizens also in light of the many events that we will host and the consistent influx of visitors. A request that the minister assured me he will satisfy, for which I thank him.
