Fired employee shoots and kills 4 people in Olot

Barcelona (CNA).- A terrible crime hit the town of Olot this morning. 57-year old Pere Puig entered a bar with a hunting rifle and killed his employer and his 35-year old son, who were eating breakfast there. Puig then left the bar and headed towards the centre of Olot. He entered a savings bank office and killed 2 employees. Police arrested him as he was leaving the bank with the rifle in his hand. He immediately confessed to the 4 murders. Pere Puig was working for the construction company Constructors Tubert. According to a witness and friend of Puig’s employer, Pere Puig had not been paid since May and was recently told he would be fired by Christmas.

These might be the reasons Puig decided to shoot and kill Joan Tubert, the owner of Constructors Tubert, and his son, Àngel Tubert. The father and son eat breakfast everyday at the same bar in Olot’s La Canya suburbs, close to a housing block they were building. This morning, Pere Puig entered the bar with a hunting rifle and shot the two men. He left the bar immediately and drove his car to the centre of Olot. Witnesses gave the police the license plate number. Puig drove to Olot’s town centre and badly parked in front of the Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo office. He entered the savings bank’s office and shot and killed 2 employees: 46-year old Rafael Turró and 52-year old Anna Pujol.

Two policemen saw the badly parked car and when they approached the vehicle, they realised that the license plate numbers were those of the suspect. At this very moment, Puig was leaving the bank’s office holding the riffle. He turned himself in to the 2 policemen and immediately confessed to the 4 crimes. A witness said that Puig stated, “I did what I wanted to do”.

Olot’s Town Hall met urgently and declared 3 days of mourning, honouring the 4 victims. The Town Hall stated that the priority now is giving attention to the victims’ families. A demonstration has been announced for tomorrow, where Olot neighbours will condemn the crime and express their support to the family.

Olot residents were very surprised about the crime. Some people who knew Pere Puig told CNA that he was a quiet man, but “strange”. Apparently Puig used to walk along his home village’s streets at night, dressed as a sheriff, with a fake star, a hat and a plastic gun.