ROME, January 17 - RAPSI. A local court began proceedings Thursday in the case of a high-profile school bombing in Brindisi, Italy, TMNews reports.

A 16-year-old girl was killed in the bombing.

The attack took place on the morning of May 19 as students were arriving to school in Brindisi. Gas cylinders were tied together and planted along a wall near the school's main entrance. The blast killed student Melissa Bassi. Nine people suffered injuries of various degrees of severity.

Two and a half weeks after the tragedy, Giovanni Vantaggiato, a 68-year-old resident of Copertino in the Lecce province, was arrested. He admitted to having plotted the attack.

The man was charged with aggravated murder and is the only defendant in the case. According to the investigation, the incident was a targeted terrorist attack.

Some 70 witnesses will testify during the trial, including the injured students, schoolteachers, law enforcement officers, and the defendant's wife.

The parents of the deceased student are also in the courtroom, the agency reports.