Reports suggest that two people are seriously wounded following a shooting in a Barcelona hotel on Tuesday afternoon. The gunmen, who have not yet been identified, are believed to have intentionally targeted the wealthier, La Rambla street this afternoon.
Current information is still patchy, with local police attempting to find a motive for the shooting at the four-star Hotel Silken.
Several different versions of events have been mooted, with one suggesting a third gunman who tried to rob a tourist, and another suggesting that the assailants had attempted to kidnap a tourist.
The gunmen were apparently masked and opened fire inside the hotel, causing havoc.
Some local newspapers have reported that police apprehended one of the gunmen, shooting him to death, though this has not yet been confirmed.
AP reports:
A regional police official said two people were standing outside a hotel when the shooter arrived and opened fire on them, wounding one. The pair fled and were later found by police. The official said the second person had also been injured when he fell on glass.
The gunman fled the scene and was being sought by police.
The official said the two people had not been staying at the hotel. She said police are as yet unable to say what the motive was for the shooting. She spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with police regulations.
The incident occurred where the city’s tourist-popular boulevard, Las Ramblas, intersects with Pintor Fortuny street. There were no details on the nationalities of the people involved.