Barcelona is at the centre of a police investigation after a man was shot dead on Balmes Street in the Eixample district on Wednesday morning, close to a National Police station. The shooting happened at about 9.50am and was seen by several people, according to local reports.
Mossos d'Esquadra have opened an inquiry into the killing. The victim was shot in the head from behind, and investigators are working to identify him and piece together what happened.
Witnesses told police the attacker fled on foot after firing a single shot. Early reconstructions suggest the assault was planned, with the suspect approaching the victim from behind before shooting him in the head.
Police have partially traced the escape route using CCTV and witness accounts. The suspect is said to have left via Granada del Penedès Street, continued along Julián Romea, and reached Gal·la Placídia Square, where the weapon was reportedly left hidden under a bicycle helmet at a bus stop.
Investigators are also reviewing footage from the National Police station and other nearby cameras. A judicial delegation, led by the judge from Barcelona's Court of Instruction, arrived at about 11.50am to oversee the removal of the body after the area was cordoned off.
The killing happened during a period of heightened security in Barcelona, with thousands of officers deployed for Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain. The Mossos have said the shooting is not linked to the papal visit. It follows another fatal shooting in Barcelona four days earlier, on Minería Street in the Marina-Zona Franca neighbourhood, which is also still under investigation. More Barcelona and Catalonia news
