A woman has been stabbed to death in a random street attack in Barcelona in front of horrified bystanders, with a suspect arrested within hours as the city declared two days of official mourning for the victim.
The fatal stabbing took place at around 11am on Friday in Esplugues de Llobregat, a residential area in the southwest of the city approximately two miles from the Camp Nou stadium. The attacker stabbed the woman in the throat, chest and stomach before fleeing the scene. A man aged 50 who intervened to try to help was also wounded in the arm, though his condition is not considered serious.
The victim, described locally as young and in one unconfirmed report as possibly of Asian origin, died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency medical crews who attended alongside police. Footage from the scene showed a forensic tent erected around her body.
The suspected killer, wearing jeans and a hoodie and carrying a large black rucksack, was arrested around midday in Barcelona’s Les Corts neighbourhood, adjacent to the area where the attack took place. A photograph of the attacker brandishing the weapon he used emerged overnight, according to the Daily Mail.
Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan regional police force leading the investigation, confirmed the arrest and said officers were working to establish the full circumstances of the attack. Police have confirmed they are not aware of any romantic relationship between the attacker and victim and well-placed sources indicated investigators were focusing on the theory that this was an entirely random killing. Terrorism has been ruled out as a motive.
Esplugues de Llobregat Town Hall condemned what it described as a violent death affecting “community life and public safety” and announced two days of official mourning beginning at midnight. “We deeply regret the violent death of a person in the town and extend our condolences to their family and loved ones,” the council said in a statement. It added that it had been coordinating with both the Mossos d’Esquadra and local police from the outset and was offering full institutional cooperation to help establish the facts.
The victim’s age and nationality have not yet been officially confirmed. The investigation is ongoing.
