Four shootings in the space of a month have left at least two people dead and two seriously injured in Marbella and Malaga.
The attacks have occurred in busy streets, residential neighbourhoods and tourist areas, including Malaga’s hugely popular Muelle Uno restaurant district.
In the most disturbing case, 20-year-old construction worker Nacho was killed after alleged gangsters apparently mistook him for somebody connected to their criminal rivals.
The escalating violence has now prompted the central government to send additional Policia Nacional officers to Malaga city from elsewhere in the province and other parts of Andalucia.
August 24: Man found shot dead near Marbella marina
The first killing was discovered during the early hours of August 24 near La Bajadilla marina in Marbella.
Emergency services received reports of a fight and gunshots in Calle Pintor Pacheco at around 2.15am.
A 33-year-old man was found lying in the street with two bullet wounds to his abdomen.
Paramedics could do nothing to save him and pronounced him dead at the scene.
His body was transferred to Malaga’s Institute of Legal Medicine for a post-mortem examination.
The Policia Nacional’s specialised and violent crime unit, UDEV, took charge of the investigation.
Although the circumstances immediately prompted suspicions of a gangland attack, investigators said that all possible motives remained open and did not officially attribute the killing to organised crime.
The shooting was reportedly the fifth firearms incident recorded in Malaga province during August alone.
No arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the killing.
September 8: Man shot outside Marbella hotel
A fortnight later, gunfire erupted in broad daylight on Avenida Ramon Gomez de la Serna, close to Marbella’s Golden Mile.
A man was shot in the leg outside a hotel shortly after 2.15pm, sending terrified pedestrians running through one of the city’s busiest areas.
Local Police officers quickly located a vehicle allegedly used by those involved and pursued the suspects after they abandoned it and attempted to escape on foot.
Three Dutch nationals were arrested on suspicion of participating in the incident.
One officer suffered a head injury during the chase.
The injured man received emergency medical treatment, while the Policia Nacional opened an investigation into the circumstances of the confrontation and the relationship between those involved.
September 18: Innocent 20-year-old killed in Malaga
The most shocking attack occurred shortly before midday on September 18 in Malaga’s Barcenillas neighbourhood.
Nacho, a 20-year-old construction worker with no criminal record, was sitting on a bench near his home when three men approached and opened fire without warning.
He was struck in the back and leg but managed to flee down a flight of steps and reach a nearby DIA supermarket.
‘I don’t know why they shot me. I haven’t done anything,’ he reportedly told witnesses as workers and customers attempted to help him.
Nacho was taken to Malaga’s Regional Hospital in a critical condition but died from his injuries at around 9pm.
Investigators initially suspected a gangland settling of scores because of the calculated nature of the attack.
However, they soon discovered that Nacho had no connection to drug trafficking, organised crime or the three men accused of killing him.
Police believe the suspects mistook him for somebody else, possibly a rival watching them from the nearby bench.
The three alleged attackers are Swedish nationals reportedly linked to the criminal underworld in Malmo.
One was arrested shortly after the shooting in Malaga’s Capuchinos district.
Information gathered following that arrest led officers to a property where a second suspect was detained.
The third allegedly changed his clothes and appearance before fleeing to Fuengirola, where he was tracked down at around 11pm.
All three have been remanded in custody without bail while the investigation continues.
September 22: Diner shot in face at Muelle Uno
Just four days after Nacho’s murder, another gunman opened fire in one of Malaga’s busiest tourist areas.
A 47-year-old man was dining outside a restaurant at Muelle Uno when he was shot in the face at around 10.30pm.
Witnesses said two men descended the stairs leading into the commercial area before the attack, although police have not confirmed how many people were involved.
At least one shooter fled on foot immediately afterwards.
The victim was rushed to Malaga’s Regional Hospital with a serious facial injury. Doctors initially feared for his life, but authorities have since confirmed that his condition is no longer considered life-threatening.
The shooting happened while Muelle Uno was busy with tourists, diners and families who had visited the port to see the FIFA World Cup trophy.
Government subdelegate Javier Salas said the principal hypothesis was that the attack represented another settling of scores between gangs connected to drug trafficking.
The gunman remained at large as officers examined security footage and interviewed witnesses.
There is no evidence connecting the Muelle Uno attack to Nacho’s murder or either of the Marbella shootings.
Police reinforcements deployed
Following the second Malaga shooting in five days, the central government announced that additional Policia Nacional officers would be deployed in the city.
The reinforcements will arrive from elsewhere in Malaga province and other parts of Andalucia as part of an expansion of the Plan Costa del Sol.
Salas did not specify how many extra officers would be involved or how long they would remain.
He insisted that Malaga remained ‘a safe province’ and said the increased presence was intended to address the public’s growing sense of insecurity.
The shootings have also triggered a fierce political row.
The Partido Popular and Vox have accused Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska of failing to provide sufficient resources to confront drug trafficking and international organised crime.
The Junta has renewed its demand for the reinstatement of OCON-Sur, the Guardia Civil’s specialist anti-drug unit disbanded in 2022.
The central government insists that its operations against criminal networks are permanent and effective, pointing to recent major drug seizures and the rapid arrests made following Nacho’s murder.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
