Police Shoot Gunman in Spain Hostage Standoff

(MENAFN) A hostage standoff in Calldetenes, a town near Barcelona in northeastern Spain, ended in the early hours of Tuesday when Catalan police fatally shot the armed suspect, according to official reports.

At approximately 7:00 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), the suspect barricaded himself inside a house with two hostages, identified as his mother and brother, police said.

When members of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan regional police, approached the home, the man fired at them using a hunting rifle. Three officers suffered serious injuries, while two others sustained minor wounds.

Elite units from the Mossos’ Special Intervention Group were quickly dispatched. Despite multiple negotiation efforts, the gunman refused to surrender.

“Given the risk to the individuals inside the house, the police launched an operation to free them,” the Mossos said in an official statement. “The man fired at the Special Intervention Group, and they were forced to return fire, resulting in his death.”

Upon gaining entry, officers found the suspect’s mother alive. His brother, however, had been fatally shot.

Mayor Miquel Riera of Calldetenes shared his disbelief in an interview with media, a local Catalan radio station, saying the family had long been part of the community and had no known history of violence.

“It is very difficult to understand,” he stated.

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