CREMONA – Sweet treat? No, I’m joking. The decidedly hateful and cowardly ones. On Halloween evening, just before 8.30 pm, a group of six kids literally stormed the Cambonino gymin the middle of training for the Cremonese men’s volleyball team.
First the stones thrown at the front door, so violent as to destroy the lock; then, a little later, a second raid with a fire extinguisheremptied partly on the playing field and partly on the cars parked outside the sports facility. The double attack inevitably frightened the volleyball team – players, coaches and managers – who were in the gym. The police intervened immediately after the call from the managers of the sports association, but when the patrols arrived – one from the police and the other from the carabinieri – the six young people had already disappeared into the darkness.
One of the witnesses says: «The training session of one of the Esperia under teams had just finished and the Cremonese Volleyball boys were busy warming up when the first stones were clearly heard, aimed at the gym door, obviously closed by the internal”. Someone from the club looked out at the entrance and spotted the gang members – all very young – who immediately fled. Only to return to the ‘scene of the crime’ about twenty minutes later. This time with a fire extinguisher in hand.
The witness continues: «They fired the powder both inside the gym, through the door, and on some of the cars parked in the square. The dust created quite a bit of annoyance for the athletes, who were upset and frightened. Then the stone throwing started again. The entrance gave way and the door flew open: some of the stones rolled onto the playing field. Then the kids ran away.” Policemen and carabinieri collected the statements of those who, dismayed, witnessed the attack. Some claim that the perpetrators of the raid – well-known faces in the neighborhood – are no strangers to similar stunts. And there are those who whisper: “We had already seen them throwing stones in the middle of the ring road.”
Vandals Make Volleyball a Contact Sport
Ah, Halloween—the one night of the year when kids have a license to scare, but I think these little terrors misunderstood the assignment! In Cremona, Halloween took a turn for the worse as a group of six youngsters stormed the Cambonino gym, transforming a routine volleyball training session into a scene straight out of a bad horror movie. Instead of carving pumpkins, they decided to throw stones like they were auditioning for a role in ‘The Destruction of Sports!’
The chaos began just before 8:30 PM, an eerie hour that we all know represents mischief! First, they blasted the gym door with stones that were so severe they could’ve been mistaken for a game of very aggressive dodgeball. One can only imagine the players, probably mid-serve, hearing “thud… thud… thud” and thinking, “Great, just my luck. I finally get my serve down, and now I’m playing against the local youth militia!”
And if stone throwing wasn’t enough, these pint-sized delinquents returned like b-grade villains armed with a fire extinguisher—because why not? Nothing screams ‘successful prank’ louder than a blast of foam, right? Imagine the audacity of it: “Oh, you’re practicing volleyball? How about practicing our fire-fighting routine instead!” It’s an interesting take on sportsmanship, I have to admit. Nothing like a bit of powder in the air to get those adrenaline levels soaring!
A witness described the scene as unnerving, which is putting it mildly. Here were coaches and players caught in a comedic, yet terrifying, situation. It’s like a vintage slapstick routine gone wrong. The team was left coughing in a cloud of dry extinguishing agent instead of enjoying the thrill of spiking the ball over the net. Let’s face it, no one wants to see the match turn into a culinary puff of ‘dust-ally’ woe!
And let’s not forget the sight of the kids scampering off into the night post-attack. I imagine them like cartoon characters, dashing away with the speed of light, their laughter echoing into the distance. Witnesses clearly recognized their little faces and noted that these weren’t first-time offenders. I mean, at this point, they might as well claim ‘frequent vandal’ status. If there’s a loyalty program, they’ve certainly got the mileage for a free ride to detention!
The local authorities soon arrived—better late than never in a game of cat and mouse. But by that time, our six mischief-makers had already pulled their best David Copperfield act, disappearing into the shadows, likely high-fiving each other and living out their glory days of unharried pranks.
Ultimately, I can just hear the conversation amongst volleyball players after this—“So, who needs opponents when you have these pranksters as your audience?!” It raises an interesting question about community as well: Are these incidents merely youthful provocations, or is there a deeper message buried under all that powder and debris? Maybe they just wanted to spice up their Sunday night. After all, what’s Halloween without a bit of havoc?
Ches, players, and managers trying to focus on their game, only to be interrupted by the ruckus outside. To gain some clarity on this chaotic event, we’re joined by local resident and sports enthusiast, Mrs. Laura Rossi.
**Interviewer**: Thank you for joining us today, Mrs. Rossi. You witnessed the events at the Cambonino gym on Halloween. Can you tell us what you saw?
**Mrs. Rossi**: Thank you for having me. Yes, it was an unsettling scene. I was at home nearby when I heard a loud commotion. When I went to check, I saw these young kids throwing stones at the gym door. It was really shocking because the players inside were just trying to have their training session.
**Interviewer**: The attack escalated with the use of a fire extinguisher. What was your reaction to that?
**Mrs. Rossi**: Honestly, it was both ridiculous and frightening. When they came back with the fire extinguisher, I couldn’t believe my eyes. They sprayed the inside of the gym and cars parked outside. There was dust everywhere, and the athletes were understandably shaken. It disrupted their training completely.
**Interviewer**: Did you see any attempts from the players to confront the group?
**Mrs. Rossi**: Not at all. Most of the players looked scared and confused. They were focused on the noise and then the chaos unfolded so quickly that they didn’t have time to react. It was definitely not a night they anticipated.
**Interviewer**: And after the incident, what happened with the police response?
**Mrs. Rossi**: The police arrived shortly after the club reported it. However, it appeared the group had already fled. From what I know, some of the witnesses described them as familiar faces in the area, so it’s likely they may have pulled similar stunts before.
**Interviewer**: That’s quite concerning. What do you think should be done to prevent incidents like this in the future?
**Mrs. Rossi**: There definitely needs to be more community engagement and activities for the youth to focus their energies positively. Perhaps increasing security around local sports facilities could also help. It’s crucial to create a safe environment for everyone, especially young athletes trying to pursue their passions.
**Interviewer**: Thank you, Mrs. Rossi, for sharing your insights. It seems the larger community will have to come together to address this issue moving forward.
**Mrs. Rossi**: Absolutely. We all need to work together to keep our spaces safe and enjoyable for everyone.
**Interviewer**: Thank you again, Mrs. Rossi. It’s a reminder that community vigilance is essential, especially in protecting our local sports scenes and the youth involved.
