• Catalan police shoot down the driver of the van who killed 15 and injured 126 pedestrians in Barcelona
Press conference
President Puigdemont, Minister Forn and Chief of Police Trapero brief the press on Monday's operation
The man who the Mossos d’Esquadra believed to be the driver of the van that killed 14 pedestrians on La Rambla de Barcelona last Thursday was fatally shot down by the Catalan police this afternoon.
 
In a press conference held this afternoon, the Chief of Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, confirmed that the Mossos shot and killed Younes Abouyaaquob, 22, in Subirats (Alt Penedès). Abouyaaquob has been the subject of a nation-wide manhunt since the attack, killing a 15th victim during his escape on Thursday evening.
 
Catalan authorities explained the suspect was wearing what appeared to be an explosive belt when he was confronted by the Mossos d’Esquadra officers. Bomb squad technicians (TEDAX) deployed a robot to assess the threat and later verified that the belt was fake.
 
In the press conference, the President of the Catalan Government, Carles Puigdemont, expressed his “profound thanks to the Catalan police for their very efficient task” which was “carried out with the utmost discretion and professionalism”, he added.