Former socialist city councillor shot to death in Basque Country

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Isaías Carrasco. Photo: EFE

Former Socialist city councillor Isaias Carrasco was shot to death in the Basque town of Arrasate/Mondragón, Basque Department of the Interior reported.

The former socialist city councillor was taken to hospital as he was shot repeatedly in the Basque town of Arrasate/Mondragón (province of Gipuzkoa), socialist sources from the Basque Department of the Interior reported, but he died soon after.

The shooting took place at 13:30 (GMT+1), when the ex councillor was at Navas de Tolosa street in the previously mentioned Basque town. The body of the injured man lay in the floor until he was taken to hospital, where his death was confirmed.

Basque police, local police and some ambulances went to the place where the shooting happened.

The former city councillor was shot in the nape three times, as he was getting out from his house in Navas de Tolosa street, sources close to the investigation reported to EFE.

Isaías Carrasco was with his wife and daughter at the moment of the attack, and they saw everything.

Carrasco, 43, had been socialist city councillor in Arrasate/Mondragón in the previous term.

His family, witness of the attack

Former socialist city councilor has been shot three times on the nape as he was going out from home at Navas de Tolosa street in the Basque town of Arrasate, investigation sources have reported Efe.

Isaías Carrasco was going out from home with her daughter, who witnessed what happened. The victim’s daughter saw how the perpetrator ran away from the place.

Carrasco, who was 42 years old, was a former city councilman from the Spanish prime minister's party PSE in Arrasate-Mondragon in the previous term and he did not have escorts, socialist sources reported Efe. He worked in 'Bidelan' company and he worked as a councilor in this town from June 2003 to May 2007.

Two people have participated in the attack

Internal affairs Minister, Javier Balza has declared at Hospital in Arrasate/Mondragón that two people have participated in the attack against the former socialist city councilor Isaías Carrasco. One of them shot the councilor and the other person was waiting inside a car.

On the other hand, interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba has informed in a press conference that it was only one person who shot Isaías Carrasco from behind several times, and that he was moved to hospital with several wounds in his head and chest, where he died soon after.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba blamed a lone shooter from the Basque separatist group ETA for Friday's killing."This is a vile and cowardly act which deserves our total rejection. A vile and cowardly act by a band of murderers who are never going to conquer the will of Spanish democracy", Perez Rubalcaba said. He also said that "they will end up before court and in prison".