A man wielding a machete killed a sexton and wounded a priest in attacks on two churches in the Spanish city of Algeciras on Wednesday before being arrested in what authorities are investigating as a possible act of terrorism.
The suspect has been arrested and is being held by the Spanish National Police. The ministry has not identified him.
The attacks began around 7pm when the gunman entered the church of San Isidro and attacked a seriously injured priest.
The attacker then went to a second church, the Nuestra Señora de La Palma – a five-minute walk away – where he continued his killing spree and attacked the sexton. The sexton, whose job it is to look after the church and its upkeep, fled outside where the attacker inflicted the fatal wounds on him in a public square.
Algeciras City Hall identified the sexton as Diego Valencia and the wounded priest as Antonio Rodríguez. City Hall said Rodríguez was hospitalized and in stable condition.
Local media reported that at least three other people were injured.
Spain’s national court said a judge had opened an investigation into a possible terrorist attack.
Police are investigating the incident, the Home Office said, to determine the “nature of the attack”. It did not provide any further details on the attacker’s possible motive.
The Secretary General of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, Francisco García, wrote on Twitter: “It is with great pain that I received the news of the incident in Algeciras.”
“These are sad moments of suffering, we are united by the pain of the victims’ families and for the Diocese of Cadiz,” he added.
Algeciras is near the southern tip of Spain, across from the Bay of Gibraltar. Here is an important port with ferry connections to North Africa.
City Hall has declared a day of mourning; Flags will fly at half mast.
“We are all stunned by these acts that have filled us with pain,” said Mayor José Landaluce. “Algeciras has always been a city of harmony and tolerance, despite incidents like this that create an image that does not correspond to reality.”