Shot dead by Mossos d'Esquadra after killing his brother and wounding five officers in Calldetenes
The man had barricaded himself in his house and shot at the Mossos d'Esquadra despite attempts at mediation.
Calldetenes (Osona)This morning, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) shot and killed a man in his 50s who had barricaded himself inside his home with a gun and was holding two of his brothers and his mother hostage in Calldetenes, a town of about 2,400 inhabitants near Vic, in the Osona region. In fact, the officers acted after hours of unsuccessful negotiations with the attacker, and after he had already killed one of the brothers and wounded the other with a bullet. The residents of Calldetenes had no idea what to expect this Tuesday: the attacker is from a long-standing family in the town, whom everyone knows. In addition to the two fatalities, the incident left five Mossos d'Esquadra officers injured, three of them seriously.
Catalan police received a call early this morning that a man had barricaded himself in his home with a firearm and was holding two members of his family, his brother and mother, inside. When the first officers—a citizen security patrol—arrived, the alleged attacker reportedly shot them, according to police sources. At that moment, officers from the GEI (the Mossos d'Esquadra) were also activated, and a mediation process began. A security detail was also deployed around the house.
According to police sources, the man maintained a "hostile" and "violent" attitude at all times and "ignored everything." Given the risk to the family members held in the house, officers began to consider ways to free them. However, in the context of these actions, the assailant allegedly fired again, and the officers responded with firearms. In the exchange of gunfire, the man was killed.
A woman freed
When they entered the home, officers found the body of another man with gunshot wounds and a woman, the mother of the two victims, who was eventually released. According to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), it was the brother of the slain man. Everything indicates that the man who shot the police officers had already killed the brother inside the house and then barricaded himself inside.
During the operation, five Mossos d'Esquadra officers were injured to varying degrees. According to the force itself, three were taken to hospital in serious condition and two have minor injuries. The investigation has now been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) of the Mossos d'Esquadra.
Three days of mourning
As municipal sources confirmed to ARA, the City Council will declare three days of mourning as a result of the events. The mayor of the municipality, Miquel Riera, explained to this newspaper the "shock" situation the town finds itself in after learning the extent of the situation throughout the morning. "Calldetenes is a town of 2,700 inhabitants, and those affected are well-known people. We are very distraught and shocked," he stated.