The Mossos believe that the shooting death of a minor in Barcelona "is not a random event": "It seems like a direct action"

BarcelonaA minor has died after being shot this Thursday night in Barcelona. The events took place after 10:45 PM in Parc de la Pegaso, in the Sant Andreu district of the Catalan capital. Sources consulted by this newspaper explain that several witnesses heard between two and three shots and later saw some youths fleeing. A group of young people, some with their faces covered, approached another group and opened fire on them. The victim was 15 years old. When emergency services arrived, they found an adolescent with a gunshot wound to the stomach. Despite resuscitation efforts, the boy eventually died. The Mossos d'Esquadra have already opened an investigation and were able to arrest an adult man this Friday to Saturday night as the alleged perpetrator of the minor's death. This is the tenth crime of the year in Barcelona – nine occurred last year – and the seventh with a firearm in the country.

In a press briefing this Friday at midday, the Director General of the Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, and theintendent of the headquarters, Toni Rodríguez, explained that the Mossos d'Esquadra are working with the hypothesis that the murder was not "an random event": "It was not an interaction that got out of hand, a casual event, or an incident. We are working with the hypothesis that it was a direct action with a firearm," pointed out Superintendent Rodríguez. According to sources consulted by ARA, everything suggests that the victim was the target of the attack and there was no prior discussion. His brother, only eight years old, was by his side.

Trapero assured that "the death of a 15-year-old child is a red line of maximum gravity." "The police force's commitment is total. The investigators are working, and will continue to work, tirelessly until the people who committed this murder, sooner rather than later, answer to justice," warned the Director of the Police, and the arrest was made a few hours later.

Although the Minister of the Interior of the Generalitat, Núria Parlon, indicated that the first indications of the murder investigation point to a confrontation between gangs in the area, Trapero and Rodríguez avoided directly linking the event to gangs, although they did not rule it out either. In this regard, they insisted that the investigation is secret.

According to sources consulted by ARA, the deceased victim had arrived in Spain a few months ago from South America. Therefore, it would not seem that he was very involved in any of the gangs. However, given the area where it happened and the people around, it is being investigated whether it forms part of a conflict between youth groups, although other motivations are not ruled out. Parc de la Pegaso is one of the spaces in Barcelona where some of the city's youth gangs are concentrated, according to the approach to the phenomenon being taken by the Mossos. In fact, in recent months, patrols had increased there. It is now being investigated whether the incident is related to these gangs.

In a message on her X account, the minister expressed her "resounding condemnation of the utmost expression of violence represented by the events that occurred early this morning at Parc de la Pegaso, during which a minor lost his life".

According to initial police information, the attacking group consisted of between four and seven people, some armed with bladed weapons. They approached the victim's group before firing shots. The Mossos have already found at least one casing from a 9-millimeter bullet. After the shots, the attackers fled in the direction of Meridiana Avenue. The Mossos deployed several patrols in the area at night to identify them.

The interaction between delinquents, more complex

Beyond assessing whether the minor's death on Thursday night is related to criminal and youth gangs, Toni Rodríguez did admit that Catalonia is experiencing a "situation of increasing complexity regarding interaction between criminals": "It is more violent and complicated than in previous times," described the superintendent, recalling that this year there have already been 65 incidents with "real firearms".

In this regard, Rodríguez explained that among the causes of this phenomenon is the "proliferation of drug trafficking," but also the way in which the dynamics of these groups imbue lower criminal structures with a "socialization of firearms." "The complexity in inter-criminal relations includes young people who have easier access to bladed weapons and firearms," warned the superintendent.

Regarding gangs, Rodríguez assured that "what was known as a gang in the 2000s" is eradicated in Catalonia, but admitted that the Catalan police have observed "a resurgence of this type of activity [youth gangs]" with different dynamics, as the ARA recently explained. "They are groups characterized by having an identity adherence and violence is part of their description, there is a violent subculture," they point out from the Catalan police. Furthermore, these new groups "are inspired" by old gangs and marijuana drug trafficking acts as a "catalyst" for access to weapons. In fact, the police force also announced that one of these gangs has recently been dismantled and there are 18 detainees.

Trapero also insisted that for over a year the Mossos have been focusing on this type of criminal activity "with a specific strategy and police work." The Director of the Police also recalled that there will be a police reinforcement: "On August 1st there will be 1,300 more police officers on the streets," he defended. Furthermore, he again called for stricter penalties for weapon possession. "That for those who have a firearm, the penalty be imprisonment, because a firearm is never for doing good," he insisted.

Collboni asks for "forcefulness"

The episode adds a new shooting in Barcelona and has reopened the debate on insecurity among the City Council groups. In an interview with RAC1, the mayor, Jaume Collboni, has called for "absolute toughness", more police officers and higher penalties for possession of weapons and drug trafficking. The mayor has linked all the episodes the city has experienced to drug trafficking, and has said he is "a little angry" about these crimes because they tarnish the "very important effort" that, he said, has been made to maintain coexistence and civility and reduce thefts and repeat offending.

Collboni's words have not served to soften the opposition's criticism. The leader of Junts, Jordi Martí, has assured that the mayor "has lost control of the city", and that the homicide "confirms the failure of those responsible for guaranteeing security". In the same vein, the leader of the PP, Daniel Sirera, has called for the resignation of both the Deputy Mayor for Security, Albert Batlle, and the Minister of the Interior.

From Barcelona en Comú, Marc Serra has lamented Collboni's "insufficient" response and has called for more investment in mediation. Also from ERC, Elisenda Alamany has stated that "a death by bullet every 15 days in Barcelona" cannot be normalized and has asked Collboni to stop "hiding" behind the PSC and ask the Generalitat to place security resources "where they belong".