Pregnant woman among 3 killed in suspected gang shooting in Spain

Three people have been shot dead in a suspected revenge attack linked to the drug trade in southwestern Spain, the authorities in the Andalusia region said on Monday.

The three victims were a pregnant woman in her eighth month of pregnancy, a 62-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy. The unborn child also did not survive, the authorities said, adding that two other people were injured in the attack.

According to official statements, the attack took place in Isla Cristina, a town of 21,000 inhabitants in the Andalusian province of Huelva. Two masked perpetrators approached the victims on a motorcycle late on Sunday evening and fired numerous shots. The victims were left lying in the street and could not be revived by rescuers.

The Guardia Civil police unit has since launched an investigation. A connection to disputes in the drug trade is currently considered likely, the state broadcaster RTVE and other media reported, citing the authorities.

The two women killed were said to be the mother and sister of a man being investigated in connection with a fatal shoot-out in September 2024.

Investigators are now examining whether the attack was a retaliatory strike linked to that case. The 16-year-old who was killed had no connection to either of the two women or to the suspected revenge attack. He had simply “happened to be passing by” when the shots were fired, according to reports.

Mayor Genaro Orta described the scene at the site as “horrific”, saying numerous shell casings had been found around the victims. He expressed hope that there would be no further acts of retaliation in Isla Cristina in the coming days. “There is great unease in the town,” he said.

Regional Premier Juanma Moreno described the attack as “intolerable”. The conservative politician said on social media that drug trafficking must not be allowed to operate freely in Andalusia, and called on the left-leaning central government to provide more resources to guarantee public safety.