Irish father shot dead in a case of mistaken identity by gang men at Spanish holiday resort in front of his family (photos)

An Irish father was shot four times by gang boys at popular Spanish holiday resort, Majorca, in front of his family as his wife pushed their child’s pram beside him after unwittingly and unknowingly chatting with a member of the Hutch gang.

A source at the crime scene said to the Sun UK: “It looks like this guy was totally innocent. He chatted for a minute to a Hutch associate, little realizing who it was. Just the usual small talk conversation Irish people have when they meet for the first time on holidays.”

One local shop owner who did not wish to be named, described how she held the victim’s hand as he lay dying. She said:

 “There was a large group of them, the man who was shot, his wife, four of their children, and other adults including a male friend and two other women. There must have been around eight to ten of them in all. They were heading from a nearby hotel to a square where everyone congregates at night for an evening meal and a drink. 

“I saw the gunman walk past the shop and heard the shots seconds later before he ran back down the road past the shop towards the beach and a well-known beach bar at the bottom of the road. He had tracksuit bottoms on and a blue tracksuit top with the number 23 in white on the back and the hood on his tracksuit drawn up tightly round his face. It was pandemonium at first. People were screaming and running in all directions. 

“The wife of the man that was shot had one of their children who must have been aged around seven in a pushchair that she was wheeling along when the victim was gunned down. He was walking slightly in front of them on his own.“That child and another with her must have seen what had happened. Another two children were behind them and wouldn’t have seen it and the woman turned round and screamed at them as it happened and that gave them time to run for cover in a side street. 

“I know that lady was married to the victim because when we ran out to tend to the injured man she kept on repeating the word ‘Wife, Wife.. We took her to one side and I got some water for her and held the man’s hand to try to encourage him to keep his eyes from closing while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. He couldn’t talk and his eyes started to close and go yellow and then white and his mouth changed colour."

Another local added: “The dead man used to holiday in the area regularly. People have said the gunman got into a car near the beach but he was on his own when he shot his victim. There were no accomplices with him at the time.”

A bar owner, who asked not to be named, said:

“I heard three shots but there were apparently four and then saw a man with a blue hoodie pulled tight over his face run by. I didn’t realise at first they were gunshots — I thought it was kids playing with firecrackers. But then I heard people screaming and people came rushing into the bar to seek refuge. The victim is dead and still lying in a bodybag on the pavement near my bar. I don’t know who he is.”

The victim was with his family when he was shot, locals said.

A worker at a restaurant near the scene said:

“There were around five or six children aged between eight and 15. The police said they were the victim’s relatives and asked us to look after them while they were with the woman they were questioning.”

More photos from the scene..