Poggibonsi hardware store owner pistol-whipped in robbery, suspect at large

A 65-year-old hardware store owner was robbed at gunpoint in Poggibonsi, Italy, on Wednesday evening. The masked assailant struck the victim with the pistol butt during a struggle before fleeing on foot with roughly 1,000 euros in cash. The robber ambushed Natale Gambassi outside his shop in via San Gimignano around 8 p.m., demanding the day's takings. Gambassi resisted, leading to a violent confrontation in which he sustained minor bruises and abrasions, though he declined hospital treatment. Police and carabinieri are investigating, but the suspect remains at large. The weapon was likely a toy gun, and the thief also stole Gambassi's backpack containing documents, keys, and credit cards.