The armed siege in Murcia continues after a gunman barricaded himself at his home in the hamlet of Cañada Hermosa Murcia
Police were alerted of the incident by neighbours who reported hearing gunshots on the afternoon of Friday, December, 23. The gunman barricaded himself in the property on Calle El Pedrusco at around six in the afternoon and began firing shots, say witnesses.
The National Police have confirmed to the media that “the operation is still underway and there has been no news throughout the night.”
The police immediately deployed across a wide area around the house and set up cordons to protect the public. Officers set up roadblocks and diverted traffic away from the scene.
Professionals from the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) and negotiators are at the scene and suspect that the man could be accompanied by a family member inside the home in which he remains locked in.
Given the seriousness of the matter and the number of hours that the subject has been locked in, a Special Operations Group (GEO) was mobilised from another province to assist in the potentially very dangerous situation.
According to neighbours, the gunman had regular quarrels with members of his family regarding the custody of one of his children.
It has also not been ruled out that the man has mental problems. The priority of the police, who have virtually taken over the town, is to protect whoever could be inside the house with the armed man.
There are unconfirmed reports this morning that a policeman has been wounded, although not seriously. Please check back for updates on this story.
