An illegal Moroccan migrant allegedly shot his lawyer at point-blank range after losing a lawsuit in southern Spain, leaving the attorney hospitalized in serious condition.
According to Antena 3, the shooting took place at around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday on Granada Street in El Ejido, Almería, after a dispute between the suspect and the lawyer over compensation connected to an unsuccessful lawsuit.
Police initially believed the weapon was a pellet gun and that the injuries were minor. Investigators have since established that the attacker used live ammunition, firing an old .32-caliber automatic pistol into the lawyer’s side at point-blank range.
The victim remains hospitalized after undergoing treatment to remove the bullet. His condition was later described as serious.
OKdiario reported that the suspect is a Moroccan national who entered Spain by boat through the Canary Islands around four years ago and is living in the country illegally. He had reportedly applied to have his immigration status regularized.
Sources close to the investigation said the man had been seeking compensation following an accident at an internet café where he was allegedly working without legal documentation.
The lawyer, who is also of Moroccan origin, had represented the suspect in the claim. Investigators believe the shooting may have been motivated by anger over the failed lawsuit and a subsequent dispute concerning compensation.
Forensic specialists are examining the recovered projectile to determine whether the firearm may have been used in other crimes.
The National Police have launched a major operation to locate the suspect, deploying available officers and resources across the area.
Authorities said the man has no known address and no established links to El Ejido, complicating the search. He had not been detained at the time of writing.
The Almería Bar Association and the Andalusian Council of Bar Associations condemned the shooting as an incident of “extraordinary gravity.”
The regional council said any violence or intimidation directed at a lawyer constituted “a direct attack on the rule of law itself.”
