Police said four of the injured were rushed to hospital after suffering gunshot wounds in the early hours of Monday during a DJ set at the Opium Beach Club just outside Marbella city center on the Costa del Sol. Police have confirmed they have arrested the suspected gunman, a Dutch national, who reportedly suffered stab wounds to his head and chest after firing his gun into the packed club. Hospital sources at Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella, where the stabbing victim and four shooting victims were taken, confirmed that two of the victims were “serious”. The 32-year-old Irish man was one of two people in intensive care after being shot in the chest, they added. A spokesman for Spain’s National Police in Malaga said: “Two of the victims, an Irish man and a woman, are in intensive care at the hospital. “The suspected gunman is still in the hospital.” A spokesman for the Spanish National Police said: “In relation to the shooting incident at Opium in Marbella, we can confirm that five people have been injured. Four have suffered gunshot wounds, one of whom is in serious condition. A person who is the suspected gunman has suffered stab wounds to the chest and head. He has been arrested and is in custody. The police investigation is ongoing.” The shooting is believed to have occurred during a scuffle between two groups of nightclub patrons in a VIP area of the beach club. It is understood this happened after a man was thrown out moments earlier by fakes and later returned. In videos on social media, at least one English speaker could be seen upstairs saying: “I heard gunshots” after scrambling to get out of the venue as four shots rang out. South African DJ Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, was among those set to perform at Opium Beach Club on Sunday night. It was not immediately clear which DJ was on duty when the shooting occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Monday. A British expat who was present said they were aware of a fight in the VIP area. “I was with my husband and he jumped on top of me because at one point the gunman appeared to be shooting into the crowd. There was a real mad panic and everyone just shouted for the exits. It was all very confusing.” A neighbor who lived near the site told a local newspaper: “I couldn’t sleep because of the noise of the music and suddenly I heard four shots. I looked over my balcony because I knew right away that it wasn’t the sound of fireworks like other nights. That’s when I saw a lot of people running out of the venue. “Police and ambulances started arriving very quickly. I counted 18 police vehicles and at least three ambulances, but I think one had already left with the most seriously injured victim.” Police have not yet confirmed the nationalities of all the injured, although a man heard shouting shortly before shots were fired appeared to be speaking in French. A source at the Costa del Sol hospital, where all the injured are believed to have been taken, added: “None of the injured who have been taken to the hospital are Spanish.” Opium is a popular venue just outside Marbella town center overlooking the sea from the dual carriageway that runs from the resort eastwards towards Fuengirola.
