Arsenal star Pablo Mari has been stabbed in a horror incident at a supermarket which saw one person dead and five others injured. A 46-year-old man is believed to have taken a knife from shelves before carrying out an attack on shoppers at the Carrefour store near Milan, Italy on Thursday (October 27).
All victims were airlifted to hospital, where one tragically died of their injuries. Three others remain in serious condition, the Mirror reports.
Spanish footballer Mari was punched in the face and knifed in the back during the horrifying assault. He suffered a deep cut which required stitches, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Customers are said to have bravely intervened to stop the attacker in the Milanofiori di Assago shopping centre at around 5.30pm. The man has since been arrested and taken into police custody.
An eye-witness told La Repubblica: "We were at the bar and we thought it was a robbery because we saw some boys and a lady running, then we saw more and more people with upset faces and we realised that something serious had happened."
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta confirmed Arsenal chief Edu has been in contact with Mari's relatives. Following defeat in the Europa League to PSV on Thursday night, he said: "I just found out. I know Edu has been in touch with his relatives. He's in hospital but he seems to be okay."
A statement on Arsenal's website read: "We are all shocked to hear the dreadful news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital including our on-loan centre-back Pablo Mari. We have been in contact with Pablo's agent who has told us he's in hospital and is not seriously hurt.
"Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this dreadful incident."
A Monza statement read: "Pablo Mari has quite a deep cut to his back, but fortunately it did not reach any vital organs like the lungs or anything else. His life is not in danger, he should recover quickly.
"He has some lesions, but not very serious. He is conscious and getting stitches."
Mari is currently on loan from Arsenal at Italian club Monza. Club CEO Adriano Galliani and coach Raffaele Palladino are said to have raced to be by the defender's side.
A statement from Galliani posted on Monza's Twitter page read: "Dear Pablo, we are all here close to you and your family, we love you, keep fighting as you know how to do, you are a warrior and you will get well soon."
Mari has made eight appearances for the Serie A outfit and has scored one goal so far this campaign. The 29-year-old recently spoke out about the job Arteta is doing back home in London with his parent club Arsenal top of the Premier League.
In an interview with AS, he said: "He is a coach who has changed my vision of football. I have done a two-year masterclass with him.
"Yes, of course [I am watching Arsenal], they are at a stratospheric level. For me, the key has been a word called time. It doesn't surprise me because it was clear that their way of working would give them a lot of joy."
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