Lorraine Williamson
A 47-year-old man has been shot in the face while dining at a restaurant in Málaga’s busy Muelle Uno. The attack is the second shooting in the city in five days, prompting the Government to announce increased police resources as investigators examine a possible settling of scores linked to drug trafficking.
A 47-year-old man is recovering in hospital after being shot in the face while dining at a restaurant in Málaga’s popular Muelle Uno port area on Tuesday night.
Emergency services received the alert at 10.35 pm, with Policía Nacional, Policía Local, and medical teams sent to the restaurant and shopping district at the Port of Málaga. The injured man was taken to Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga and, after initial concern over his condition, health sources confirmed on Wednesday that he is stable.
Police investigate possible drugs-related settling of scores
Policía Nacional is continuing to search for the person or people responsible for the attack, with no arrests announced as of Wednesday afternoon. Investigators have not yet established exactly what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting.
However, the Government’s subdelegate in Málaga, Javier Salas, said on Wednesday that the principal line of investigation points towards a possible settling of scores between groups linked to drug trafficking. He stressed that other lines of inquiry remain open while police work to identify those responsible.
The shooting took place in one of Málaga’s best-known leisure areas, where restaurants and bars line the waterfront close to the city centre. Witness accounts reported in the Spanish media indicate that the attacker fled after firing at the victim. Meanwhile, investigators are examining whether one or two people may have been involved.
Second Málaga shooting in five days
Tuesday night’s attack comes just five days after a 20-year-old man was repeatedly shot near his home in the Barcenillas area of Málaga. The young man, who had been sitting on a bench, managed to seek refuge in a nearby supermarket after being wounded but later died in hospital.
Three men were arrested following that attack, including one suspect who was tracked to Fuengirola. All three were subsequently remanded in provisional custody without bail on suspicion of homicide.
The investigation into that killing has produced an unusual and disturbing hypothesis. Policía Nacional believes the 20-year-old may have been shot by mistake, after the suspects allegedly confused him with someone they considered a threat.
Investigators found that the victim had no criminal record and no known connection to criminal organisations or drug trafficking. Police are examining whether the suspects mistook him for a hitman they believed was watching them while he was sitting near his home.
Three arrested after guns, drugs and masks found in Marbella
Extra police resources promised for Málaga
There is currently no indication from investigators that the Barcenillas killing and Tuesday night’s Muelle Uno shooting are connected. The circumstances appear markedly different, with the latest attack being investigated primarily as a possible settling of scores involving drug-trafficking groups.
Nevertheless, two serious shootings within five days have increased scrutiny of violent crime in Málaga. The Government has now said police resources in the province will be reinforced, although no figure has yet been given for the number of additional officers involved.
Policía Nacional continues to investigate the Muelle Uno attack and is working to identify and locate those responsible. The 47-year-old victim remains in hospital in a stable condition.