50-year-old unemployed man confesses to firing pellets from his window as passersby.A man has turned himself in to Rome police after confessing to shooting an air rifle at women and passersby from the window of his flat in Prati, an upmarket district near the Vatican, in a spate of attacks that police believe may be linked to as many as seven separate incidents over recent days.  The suspect, a 50-year-old unemployed resident of Via della Giuliana, presented himself at a Carabinieri station accompanied by his lawyer after investigators closed in on him, having traced the purchase of a compressed-air rifle bought in early September at a gun shop in the area to a resident of the same street from which the shots were believed to have been fired. The confession The man - dubbed the "Prati sniper" by Italian media - is understood to have admitted responsibility, telling investigators he had fired the weapon "for fun" and denying any specific target or motive linked to his victims.   Investigators are still trying to establish the reasons behind his actions, and according to some accounts he appeared confused under questioning. He is believed to have acted alone. The victims The most serious case involves journalist and author Cristina Stillitano, who was struck in the arm by a metal pellet while walking along Via della Giuliana and underwent surgery to have the projectile removed; the wound did not damage nerves, bone or major blood vessels, and she was given a 15-day prognosis. Rome prosecutors are considering whether to pursue an attempted murder charge over that shooting.   A second woman, a local accountant, came forward after reading about Stillitano's case to say she had also been grazed by a pellet in the calf the previous Friday while walking home from the gym, describing hearing a "rush of air" before feeling the impact.   Shopkeepers in the area reported that shots targeting women and tourists in particular had been occurring for several days beforehand, though no one had reported them until Stillitano was hit. The investigation Forensic officers from the carabinieri's RIS scientific police unit carried out three-dimensional surveys and trajectory analysis at the scene this week, examining nearby buildings - including guesthouses overlooking the street - to establish the likely origin and height of the shots.   Investigators have recovered further pellets and material that could be linked to additional episodes in the area, and are working to establish whether the various incidents, which include damage to shutters and shop windows, were carried out by the same person.   The suspect has so far been formally reported for causing injury, while the Rome prosecutor's office continues its inquiries to determine whether he can be linked to all the episodes reported in the Prati area.   Photo credit: astudio / Shutterstock.com