Investigators are now treating the horrific El Ejido shooting spree as a suspected case of gender violence after new details emerged about the gunman’s alleged motive.
The bloodbath, which unfolded late on Monday night in the El Canalillo area of El Ejido in Almeria province, left two people dead and four others seriously injured, including two babies and the suspect’s own seven-month-old son.
Authorities initially described the bloodshed as a confusing and chaotic multiple shooting, but Spain’s Government subdelegate in Almeria, Jose Maria Martin, confirmed on Wednesday that investigators now believe the attack was driven by domestic violence.
The suspected gunman allegedly murdered his own mother and stepfather before turning his weapon on his ex-partner, neighbours and passersby during a terrifying rampage that plunged the small community into panic.
Among those critically injured is the attacker’s seven-month-old baby son, who was shot and remains in intensive care. Another child, a 21-month-old girl, was also seriously wounded after being caught in the gunfire.
Spanish authorities are also examining the case as one of suspected ‘violencia vicaria’ – a form of gender violence in which children are harmed in order to inflict suffering on a current or former partner.
Officials confirmed there had been no prior domestic violence complaints filed by the suspect’s ex-partner, meaning she was not registered in Spain’s VioGen monitoring system for victims of gender violence.
Police are still investigating whether the man had any previous history of violence against women in past relationships.
The surviving victims remain hospitalised in critical condition across several hospitals in Almeria province.
A 19-year-old woman is being treated at Hospital Universitario Poniente, while a 60-year-old ‘foreign’ man who was shot in the head remains in intensive care at Hospital Universitario Torrecardenas.
The two injured children are both being treated in the paediatric intensive care unit at the Materno Infantil hospital in Almeria city.
The nightmare began at around 11.15pm on Monday when emergency services received reports of multiple gunshots in the El Canalillo district.
When Guardia Civil officers and local police arrived at the scene, they discovered what officials described as a ‘dantesque’ scene.
The suspect had allegedly shot dead his mother and stepfather inside the property before his ex-partner managed to flee with their wounded baby.
Investigators believe she escaped through the front door, which officers found left wide open.
The gunman then allegedly opened fire indiscriminately at neighbours outside, striking the 19-year-old woman, the toddler and the 60-year-old man of North African origin.
Even the suspect’s own brother reportedly told police that ‘he was coming for him’.
After the shootings, the suspect fled across rooftops, triggering a major overnight manhunt involving the Guardia Civil’s elite GAR unit, local police tactical teams and drones equipped with infrared cameras.
The search ended at around 4am on Tuesday when the suspect surrendered to officers.
According to municipal sources, he allegedly told police: ‘As I am a man, I’ve come to face what I’ve done.’
Investigators also identified two men who allegedly arrived during the early hours to collect a vehicle linked to the suspect, although no arrests were made.
The accused is said to have at least 16 prior police incidents linked to drugs offences and possession of knives.
El Ejido mayor Francisco Gongora suggested the man may also suffer from serious psychiatric problems, adding that his profile represented ‘an obvious danger to coexistence’.
On Wednesday, El Ejido town hall held a minute’s silence for the victims.
Mayor Gongora called for more Guardia Civil officers in the area and tougher legal mechanisms to confine dangerous repeat offenders with severe psychiatric disorders.
Meanwhile, government officials warned about the growing threat posed by illegal firearms circulating in marginalised areas, describing the tragedy as an example of how unchecked violence can destroy multiple families in a single night.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
