A 44-year-old woman from Xgħajra was found dead at a residence in Żabbar on Saturday afternoon, with police arresting a 42-year-old man who was found at the scene.

A police spokesperson on site told journalists that they are treating the incident as a homicide.

Police said they received a report at around 3pm that shots had been fired in a residence in Corrado Street, Żabbar.

Police officers and members of the forensic team were dispatched to the scene, where they found the woman dead inside the residence. Initial information indicated that she was found in a bedroom.

A 42-year-old man was also found at the residence and was arrested. He is being questioned by police in connection with the killing, the police said.

A firearm believed to have been used in the crime was also recovered from the residence.

Magistrate Monica Borg Galea is leading a magisterial inquiry.

Police said the suspect had previously been the subject of a domestic violence report in 2016. He had subsequently been sentenced to one year in prison.

Another report was filed against the man in 2017, although he was not found guilty in connection with that case.

Investigations by the police are ongoing alongside the magisterial inquiry.