It’s truly remarkable how, in Albania nowadays, nearly every big, shocking killing — mafioso hits, courtroom assassinations, mysterious “revenge” shootings — comes with its own video. Almost as if murderers have become budding videographers, keen to roll film before they roll bullets.
Take the recent hit at Rinas roundabout: the killers showed up disguised, unloaded their gun, yet just managed to catch the final moment on camera — thanks to nearby surveillance cameras. Or the courtroom shooting in the capital’s appeals court: a gunman opens fire during a hearing — and yes, there’s video of it.
One might wonder: is it just coincidence that these crimes are so “well documented”? Or could it be that somebody, somewhere, finds it more “useful” for them — a hidden mechanism to distract people. While the videos spread, people talk about the latest “crazy crime,” get their blood pressure up, feel shocked… maybe they forget — or choose to ignore — the endless corruption, nepotism and institutional decay that really define daily life.
In a sense, each video is like a spotlight — but a spotlight that blinds us. Because when you stare at the spectacle of violence, it’s harder to see the slow, creeping rot below: corrupt deals, impunity, power networks.
And so the question arises: are these recordings just evidence — or are they part of a darker theater of distraction? Because while we’re busy clicking “play,” who’s watching those who hold the real guns: of power, money, and influence?