Lorraine Williamson
I was in Marbella on Friday afternoon when the calm of the town was suddenly pierced by wave after wave of police sirens. All of them seemed to be heading west, in the direction of Puerto Banús. Within minutes, social media chatter confirmed the fears: yet another shooting had erupted in broad daylight.
The luxury marina area, long associated with yachts, designer stores, and late-night glamour, has developed a darker reputation in recent years. Violent clashes linked to organised crime have become uncomfortably frequent. Shootings in broad daylight, once unthinkable in a tourist hotspot, now feel alarmingly routine.
Friday’s incident unfolded at around 1.30 pm on one of Puerto Banús’s busiest avenues. According to witnesses who phoned the 112 Andalucía emergency line, multiple gunshots rang out as a 25-year-old man sitting on a bar terrace was targeted.
Gunman detained
The attacker reportedly arrived by car before opening fire and injuring his victim, who fled into a nearby establishment seeking cover. Police and medical teams were on the scene within minutes. The injured man was transferred to the Costa del Sol Hospital, where doctors battled to stabilise him. Reports later confirmed that despite intensive treatment, he did not survive his injuries.
National Police officers launched a rapid manhunt, supported by Local Police and Guardia Civil. Within hours, the alleged gunman had been detained, though investigators have not yet released further details about the motive. Early suggestions point towards another possible settling of accounts.
Violence becoming normalised
This latest shooting comes just a day after the National Police commissioner in Marbella admitted that 2025 has already been marked by a difficult start to the year, with several firearm incidents shaking the region.
Residents and visitors alike have grown used to the sight of flashing lights and roadblocks in areas that should be defined by leisure and tourism. Each new attack chips away at the Costa del Sol’s carefully cultivated image of luxury and relaxation, instead exposing the undercurrent of criminal rivalries that fuel such violence.
A worrying pattern
What makes these incidents most shocking is their timing and location: gunfire in the middle of the afternoon, in one of Spain’s most visited tourist destinations. For Marbella, and especially Puerto Banús, the question is not just how to respond to this shooting, but how to prevent the next one.
Sources: Marbella 24 horas