A 24-year-old French national was shot dead Monday night in the center of Salou, Tarragona. Patrons in nearby bars described how three assailants approached the victim and attacked him without any prior discussion. One of the attackers was quickly restrained by bystanders until local police arrived. Mossos d’Esquadra opened an investigation to locate the remaining two suspects. The incident left several witnesses shocked, some of whom posted accounts on social media after witnessing the crime live while dining in the area.
Shortly before 11 p.m., a Salou patrol received a call from residents reporting a murder on Zaragoza Street, in front of El Abuelo restaurant. Officers arrived to find a man on the ground being held by bystanders who claimed he was responsible for the killing. Nearby, a second young man lay seriously injured with multiple gunshot wounds. He was unconscious. Doctors reported that more than two or three shots had been fired, though the final autopsy would determine the exact number of bullets involved.
Bystanders restrained the suspect while police teams intervened. During the search, investigators found the detainee wearing an ankle strap and a firearm hidden under his clothing. The discovery underscored the peril faced by witnesses who acted to subdue the suspect. The detainee is also a French national, aged 32.
A video recorded by witnesses shows bystanders detaining the suspect until the local police patrol arrived on the scene.
two fugitives
The responding patrol alerted Mossos and the Sistema d’Emergències Mèdiques (SEM). Paramedics worked to revive the unconscious victim, but medical efforts were unsuccessful and the man later died. The incident prompted a quick briefing to Mossos, who activated the Gàbia containment protocol to seal off Salou’s outskirts in an effort to prevent the two remaining suspects from fleeing the municipality. The Gàbia device, previously used in Barcelona after a major attack, is designed to limit movement of suspects in high-risk situations. In this case, it did not reach the two fugitives, who remained at large while the Criminal Investigation Unit (DIC) took over the case and ruled out the involvement of any additional perpetrators.
Authorities have suggested that the motive may be linked to a confrontation that escalated into lethal violence, with the attackers seeking retribution for an earlier clash. According to sources cited by multiple outlets, the alleged perpetrator is believed to be one of the two individuals who fled the scene. The investigation continues as officers work to track the remaining suspects and determine the full sequence of events surrounding the fatal shooting. Witness accounts have been collected to aid the inquiry. [Source: local press reports and law enforcement briefings]