Provisional prison without bail for man arrested over death at shooting range near Barcelona
19-year-old detained in Murcia accused of murder, illegal detention, illegal possession of firearms and resisting arrest
A man arrested over the death of an instructor at a shooting range in Canovelles, 30km north of Barcelona, has been provisionally sent to prison without bail after appearing in court in Murcia in southeastern Spain on Tuesday, according to sources at the Catalan High Court (TSJC).
The 19-year-old member of the 'Club de Tir Precisió Granollers' is charged with homicide or murder, two counts of unlawful detention, unlawful possession of firearms and one count of assault or resisting arrest causing minor injury.
Police arrested the man on Sunday in Murcia, after he fired a gun at an instructor on Saturday at 7:30 pm in Canovelles. The shooter then fled the scene before emergency services arrived and tried to revive the staff member.
After escaping, he forced two young women at gunpoint to drive him to Murcia, where he was located and arrested at around 8 am the following day after the victims called the police and reported the incident.
The alleged shooter is a former army member who did not serve for long before leaving the force, according to the Spanish defense ministry.
At the time of the arrest, the shooter had two fire guns ready to shoot and a cold weapon.
The shooting range victim was the site's manager who had been working there for around four years after being a member for longer.
Highly regulated sector
Members of the 'Club de Tir Precisió Granollers' have condemned the attacks, the first of their kind at the shooting range.
"Nothing has ever happened before," Pedro Lumbreras, a member, said to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) at the club's door, explaining that the sector is highly regulated.
The site has security cameras and only members can access the shooting range as "you need a pass to enter," he added.
"If someone does something, everything is recorded, so I guess the police were able to identify the alleged shooter very fast," Lumbreras said.
He has been a member for over 15 years, and he told ACN that the regulations are very strict and that Spanish Guardia Civil police oversee all gun licenses. Members also have to undergo a medical and psycho-technic test before obtaining a gun license.