In broad daylight, the sibling of a prominent Irish sports figure was fatally shot on a bustling street in Barcelona. The 36-year-old man was gunned down on Thursday morning on Carrer de Balmes in the heart of Barcelona, near a National Police office. Reports from ElCaso.cat indicated that the victim, hailing from Dublin’s north inner city, succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, while the assailant managed to flee the scene after the attack.
The incident occurred on a busy thoroughfare in front of the National Police’s DNI office, responsible for issuing National Police ID cards and passports, as detailed by the news outlet. Following the shooting, forensic specialists set up a tent at the location to gather evidence, while authorities released CCTV footage and recovered the suspected murder weapon in their pursuit of the perpetrator.
A local resident living near the deceased man’s parents in Dublin shared with the Irish Times that the family is highly esteemed in the community, especially the victim’s older brother, who brought honor to the nation through his sports career. The tragic news of the Irish man’s demise spread rapidly among locals.
The shooting incident coincided with heightened security measures in Barcelona ahead of a scheduled visit by Pope Leo XIV on Thursday.