A SUSPECTED drug dealer was shot dead in the head in broad daylight on a busy street in Barcelona on Saturday evening.
The killing happened at around 7pm on Carrer de Mineria while the area was packed with pedestrians enjoying an evening stroll.
Witnesses said the gunman fired at close range from behind before fleeing the scene.
A Mossos d’Esquadra officer (Catalan police), helped by several passersby, desperately tried to revive the victim as crowds gathered around.
Despite efforts to save him, the man died at the scene.
“He killed him. He killed him,” a young woman could be heard muttering while filming the aftermath on her phone as medics and police worked around the body.
The victim, a Spanish national, reportedly had a criminal record linked to drug trafficking.
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Graphic videos and images of the shooting quickly spread, adding to growing concern about gun violence in Catalunya.
The homicide unit of the Mossos d’Esquadra sealed off the area while forensic officers searched for clues and footage that could identify the shooter.
Investigators have also started speaking to witnesses and the victim’s relatives to try to find a connection between the victim and the shooter.
The shooting is the latest in a string of violent incidents involving firearms across the region. Earlier this week, police discovered military-grade weapons hidden in the boot of a car in Girona.
Saturday’s murder was the second fatal shooting in Catalunya in recent weeks.
On April 14, a 44-year-old Serbian man was shot in the back and head while eating lunch with his wife and infant daughter on a terrace in Barcelona’s Poblenou district.
Police believe some of the recent shootings may be linked to ongoing disputes between Balkan mafia groups operating across Europe.
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