Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained a 25-year-old man suspected of killing his two parents and injuring four other people, including his son, in a shooting in the southern city of El Ejido in Almeria province overnight.

The four injured individuals were taken to hospital in serious condition, the Guardia Civil said in a statement. Those injured included the suspect’s son, a man, a woman and another minor.

Two of the injured are under 18 years of age, El Pais newspaper reported.

According to police, reports of the shooting emerged shortly after 11 p.m. local time on Monday. Specialist units arrested the suspect at around 4 a.m. on Tuesday.

Authorities said they were investigating the motive behind the attack, which initially appeared to be linked to domestic violence, as well as the origin of the firearm used. Police noted that the suspect did not hold a gun licence.

Shootings are relatively uncommon in Spain, where firearms are tightly regulated and gun ownership rates remain low compared with many other European countries.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Spain recorded 53 firearm-related homicides in 2023, equivalent to 0.1 deaths per 100,000 people, one of the lowest rates in Europe and globally.

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