A 27-year-old Gambian man has been shot dead in the Italian city of Latina, with police investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing.

The victim, identified as Ebrima Dibba, from Baddibu Kerewan in the North Bank Region, was reportedly shot several times from a moving car on Wednesday evening.

Dibba, also known by the nickname “Zala”, had been living in Latina, central Italy, where he worked as an agricultural labourer.

According to Italian media outlet La Sicilia, the shooting took place at around 8pm on Viale XXIV Maggio, in the centre of the city, near the Church of the Immaculate.

Police officers and emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene, but Dibba died from his injuries.

Investigators from the Latina Police Headquarters have since launched a murder investigation and are working to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Initial police findings indicate that Dibba was in Italy without legal status and was already subject to an expulsion order.

Investigators said he did not have a serious criminal record, although he had some previous minor police records.

The investigation has been assigned to the Mobile Squad of the Pontine Police Headquarters under the direction of the Latina Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Police are examining surveillance footage from the area and gathering witness statements to identify the vehicle used in the shooting and establish the identity of the perpetrator or perpetrators.

One of the investigative leads being examined is a possible connection to drug dealing. However, police have not established this as the motive, and the hypothesis remains subject to verification as the investigation continues.

Investigators are also examining Dibba’s network of acquaintances and contacts in the area to determine whether he was deliberately targeted or was caught up in the shooting as the vehicle passed.

The Latina Prosecutor’s Office has maintained confidentiality over the investigation as police continue efforts to establish the motive and identify those responsible for the killing.