Belgrade man shot dead in Barcelona courtyard
A Serbian national was killed by a burst of gunfire in the back in a residential courtyard in Barcelona's Zona Franca, with Spanish police steering the inquiry toward a Balkan clan feud.
- A Serbian national from Belgrade was killed on Sunday evening, June 8, at around 9 p.m. in the courtyard of a residential building in Barcelona's Zona Franca district.
- An attacker dressed in black approached the victim from behind and fired a burst from an automatic pistol, hitting him with at least four rounds.
- Spanish media report this is the fifth killing in Catalonia in under a year that can be linked to a war between Balkan clans.
- The attacker fled and has not yet been found, while Spanish police lead the investigation.
A Serbian national was killed on Sunday evening in Barcelona. His body was found in the courtyard of a residential building in the Zona Franca district. According to initial information, the shooting happened at around 9 p.m.
The attacker, according to operational findings, was dressed in black. He approached the victim from behind. He fired a burst from an automatic pistol and struck the man with at least four rounds. He left the scene afterwards and has not been found.
Operational findings indicate the victim is M. Dj. from Belgrade, from the Vracar district. Official confirmation of his identity was awaited during the day. He is a private individual, so his name is not being published before the investigation is complete.
Why do police suspect a clan feud?
Spanish police are steering the inquiry toward a feud between Balkan criminal clans. That conclusion does not come at random. Spanish media report this is the fifth killing in Catalonia in under a year that can be linked to a war between those groups.
A run of similar killings changes the picture. A single crime becomes part of a pattern. Investigators are therefore comparing the method, the weapon and the circumstances of earlier cases. A burst of fire in the back, an attacker in black and a quick withdrawal fit a known method of contract killings in that milieu.
It should be stressed that the link to a clan feud is, for now, a working theory of the investigation. Spanish authorities have not officially confirmed it. The attacker’s identity has not been established, and the motive remains under review.
How is the case linked to an earlier conflict?
According to one line of inquiry, the victim had earlier physically attacked a man from the same milieu. After that incident, compensation of 50,000 euros was reportedly demanded so the matter would be hushed up. That demand was, according to the same findings, refused.
Disputes within criminal groups often do not end with an agreement. Refused compensation can become a prelude to revenge. The investigation is therefore checking whether the earlier conflict is the immediate trigger for the killing, or whether this is a wider feud that has run for months.
For now many elements remain unverified. Spanish police are collecting surveillance footage and questioning witnesses. Only the on-site examination and forensic analysis will show who pulled the trigger, and on whose order.
Will this run of killings in Catalonia finally reveal the scale of a conflict being waged far from the public eye?
